Second man pleads guilty to attempted robbery of Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac
Footage showed Bosnian defender Kolasinac chasing off the two moped attackers who were wearing helmets and dark clothing
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
A second man has admitted trying to rob Arsenal footballers Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Ozil.
Footage played in Harrow Crown Court showed Kolasinac standing on the pavement while talking to Ozil and his wife, who were sitting in a gold-trimmed black Mercedes G class 4x4, when a moped approached.
The scooter stopped on the pavement before the rider got off and threatened Kolasinac with a large blade, repeatedly jabbing it towards him, during the attack in Hampstead, north London, on 25 July.
The footballer, nicknamed “the tank” by supporters, can be seen standing still before lunging towards the attackers and chasing the moped off.
Ozil remained in the vehicle with his wife, Armine, before speeding off and taking refuge in a Turkish restaurant after being chased by the robbers.
Ozil said the attackers were shouting for the footballers to give up their watches, which the court heard were worth £200,000 each.
“Sead's reaction was really, really brave because he attacked one of the attackers,” he told the Athletic website. "We were newlywed and I was scared about my wife. I was scared about Sead. I saw one chance to drive. If they got to my wife, something terrible might have happened to her.”
The victims called police from a restaurant in Golders Green, but a breakthrough did not come in the case until a member of the public reported a suspicious motorcycle that had been dumped without number plates almost 10 miles away.
Police discovered the moped was the same one used in the robbery and used CCTV of the area to discover the robbers had fled to a local pub afterwards.
Ashley Smith, 30, and Jordan Northover, 26, dumped a motorcycle helmet and clothing worn during the robbery at grassland behind the pub.
They were identified by investigators and arrested in September.
Chief Inspector Jim Corbett, of London's Metropolitan Police, said the pair had been riding around nearby streets “looking for people to rob”.
“Northover didn’t hesitate to draw a weapon when making demands, but he didn’t bargain on being challenged and the pair went away empty-handed,” he added. “These types of cases can be difficult to investigate as the perpetrators mask their identities by wearing crash helmets and scarves. It is vital that anyone who witnesses a robbery or sees anything suspicious contacts police to tell them what they know. The information could be vital.”
Northover pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Harrow Crown Court.
Smith previously pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of cannabis in October. They will both be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court later this week.
The attack came after a spate of moped crime that sparked widespread public concern in London and led to a crackdown that police say is tackling the issue.