Music manager with Nigerian heritage was killed in the UK over a bogus £300k

Emmanuel Odunlami, a music manager of Nigerian descent, was fatally attacked in the UK over what authorities suspect to be a fake luxury watch worth up to $300,000.

Odunlami was attacked by three thieves after hosting a party to celebrate his birthday, according to recent testimony presented at the Old Bailey, which serves as the principal criminal court for England and Wales.
The 32-year-old music manager was reportedly attacked on May 1, 2022, after leaving the Haz restaurant next to St. Paul's Cathedral in London, according to Daily Mail.

Security guard Kavindu Hettiarachchi is alleged to have informed Odunlami's attackers that he was sporting a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch.

The prosecutor, Duncan Atkinson KC, stated during the court proceeding that it is thought the watch "may not have been genuine."
Nonetheless, he said, the criminals handled the object as if it were real.
"Unfortunately, it turned out that he preferred pricey brand watches. He was sporting a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch when he was fatally attacked, according to the prosecution.

Such a watch could be priced somewhere between £90,000 and £300,000 if it were real.

It is thought that the deceased's watch may not have been authentic but was handled as such by those who attempted to steal it.

Atkinson claimed Hettiarachchi was "an key element of the security team" and was engaged by the events organiser for the VIP ticketed brunch and afterparty with DJ.

"It was part of his responsibility to ensure the security of all who were present at the occasion, including Mr. Odunlami. The exact opposite, in fact," he remarked.

Old Bailey was informed that Hettiarachchi called Louis Vandross, who is thought to be one of the robbers, following the incident.
The jury was informed that Quincy Ffrench later drove Vandrose and Jordell Menzies in a white Mercedes from north-west London with altered license plates.

The prosecutor stated, "The evidence establishes that French, Vandrose, and Menzies were leaving in a car with a disguised registration in order to commit a robbery and that their goal for that crime was at the Haz restaurant where Hettiarachchi was working, and to which he had summoned them by phone.

The security guard allegedly recorded the victim and his "high-value" watch before seeming like he was typing something into his phone.

The prosecution's case is that he was informing the other defendants about Mr. Odunlami and his watch so they could steal him of the ostensibly priceless object, according to Atkinson.