Nigerian music manager Emmanuel Odunlami killed in London for his £300,000 designer wristwatch

NIGERIAN-born music manager Emmanuel Odunlami was stabbed to death in London just after celebrating his birthday by three attackers who descended on him so they could steal his £300,000 designer wristwatch.

In the trial which took place at the Old Bailey, the court was told that Mr Odunlami, 32, was attacked by the three robbers after leaving the Haz restaurant near St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London on May 1, 2022. They were allegedly informed by a security operator, Kavindu Hettiarachchi that Mr Odunlami was wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch worth between £90,000 and £300,000 if genuine.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson, stated that Mr Hettiarachchi was a vital member of the security team hired by the event’s organiser, Playhxuse, for the private ticketed brunch and after-party. He told the court that two of the attackers, Louis Vandrose and Jordell Menzies were then driven by a third Quincy Ffrench ,in a white Mercedes with altered number plates, from north west London to the venue, to carry out the crime.

Mr Atkinson, said: “It was part of Mr Hettiarachchi's role to protect the safety of those, like Odunlami, who were attending the event. In fact, he did the opposite.

“The evidence shows that Vandrose, Menzies and Ffrench were setting off in a car with a disguised registration in order to carry out a robbery and their target was at the Haz restaurant where Hettiarachchi was working and to which by phone he had summoned them."

Mr Odunlami, known to friends as Jay, had driven to the city in his grey hatchback Mercedes on the day of his death to celebrate his birthday with friends, having purchased tickets for a £1,400 table. As the event came to an end around 11pm, Mr Hettiarachchi was caught on camera filming outside the venue and calling Louis Vandrose.