Thief ‘took designer jewellery from Philip Green stepson’

Magda Palos, the wife of property mogul Brett Palos, has told a court how a burglar broke into their home and told her to hand over her jewellery

Jewellery designed by Rolex, Cartier and Chanel was among a haul worth £2million taken in a burglary at the home of the stepson of billionaire businessman Sir Philip Green, a court has heard.

Robert Lewis, 41, allegedly broke in to the home of Brett Palos and his wife Magda and ordered Mrs Palos to hand over all her valuables while she was wearing only a towel.

Harrow Crown Court heard designer watches and diamond rings were stolen in the burglary which took place at around 7.15am on December 10, 2016, when Mrs Palos was at home with two of the couple’s three young children.

Prosecutor Roger Smart told the jury on Friday that jewellery taken in the burglary included a heart-shaped diamond ring, a Chanel Camelia ring, three Cartier bracelets, and a number of Rolex watches.

The watches included a Daytona Rolex watch, a men’s diamond Rolex watch and a Rolex Explorer watch, jurors heard.

Lewis is said to have forced a window on the ground floor of the property which sits at the end of a private, gated street in St John’s Wood, north west London.

The court previously heard that the defendant almost immediately ran in to the couple’s young daughter coming down the stairs, who led him to Mrs Palos’ en-suite bathroom where she had just stepped out of the shower.

Mr Palos is son of Sir Philip Green's wife Tina (pictured together) from her first marriage

Mr Palos is son of Sir Philip Green’s wife Tina (pictured together) from her first marriage

Lewis, of Paddington, allegedly forced Mrs Palos to identify valuable items of jewellery from drawers during the 10-minute ordeal, and loaded them in to her husband’s briefcase.

In total £2,003,653 worth of jewellery and watches were taken.

The victim later picked Lewis out of an identity parade, while a full-match profile of his DNA was found around the damaged window frame, jurors heard.

Lewis denies one count of burglary, one count of aggravated burglary and one count of robbery, claiming mistaken identity.

Mr Smart said on Thursday: ‘No one disputes that the offence happened and there’s no issue as to whether there was at least a burglary and a robbery. This is, as we sometimes say a ‘whodunnit’.

‘The prosecution say that Robert Lewis did it, Mr Lewis denies that.’

Mr Palos is the son of Sir Philip’s wife Lady Christina Green and her first husband, Robert Palos.

He is a property developer and also sits of the board of Sir Philip’s Arcadia Group which owns brands including Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.

Mrs Palos gave evidence at Lewis's ongoing trial at Harrow Crown Court today

Mrs Palos gave evidence at Lewis’s ongoing trial at Harrow Crown Court today

 



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