On the second floor of the Paris court, in a small room of the immense glass building, the trial has just begun. The five defendants have barely finished confirming their identity when the president of the 23rd correctional chamber is already getting annoyed. To prepare for the hearing, the magistrate read their denials. Pages of minutes, dozens of them. A litany of verbal dodges, an array of “I have nothing to do with this story,” of “I have no more memories,” monosyllabic responses or “I will only explain myself to the judge”. At the end of the afternoon of January 18, the time has come. Glasses and messy hair, the president warns: “Your statements going in all directions and the DNA flying away, we’re not going to spend hours on that, I’ll tell you right away. »
The warning falls on the solid shoulders of Mamadou C. No, he did not participate, on the night of November 16 to 17, 2022, in the burglary of the luxurious apartment of Princess Patricia della Giovampaola d’Arenberg, a stone’s throw from the Parc Monceau, in chic 8e borough. That night, then the next, in the absence of the owner, jewelry was stolen, around fifteen Judith Leiber bags – 4,500 euros each – and Hermès crocodile bags, some marked with the initials “CEO”, Louis Vuitton suitcases, Louboutin shoes, a Balmain leather jacket worth 13,000 euros and everything that luxury leather goods can invent. The damage is estimated at more than 300,000 euros.
The burglars climbed over a gate, then entered through a balcony and a window on the first floor. Two weeks before, in the weekly supplement of the Spanish newspaper El Paísthe princess took part in the photo games, on her balcony with a view of the park, for a “decoration” article offering precious details on this “wonderful cabinet of curiosities”. Enough to give ideas, on the Goutte-d’Or side. Because, for several years, the popular district of 18e arrondissement of Paris has acquired a serious reputation for celebrity burglaries.
“Stop talking nonsense! »
In this case, Mamadou C., 22 years old, carries a string of burdens. There is, first of all, his arrest, on November 17 at 1:20 a.m., in a parking lot at 13e district of Paris, near a black Mercedes where there were two acolytes, tried alongside him. At the sight of the police officers from the anti-crime squad, “Mady” (her nickname) tried to flee. Then gave a false identity, which was quickly discovered. There are also luxury bags inside the Mercedes, the same as those of the princess. But also gloves, hoods and a screwdriver on which investigators found his DNA. Like the broken shutter of the burglarized apartment.
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