The designer gives evidence after being mugged at knifepoint
Fashion designer Nicole Farhi feared she would die on her doorstep when she was choked and robbed at knifepoint by two muggers, a court heard yesterday.
The 62-year-old lost consciousness when Daniel Mykoo suffocated her as his brother Matthew brandished a knife, it is alleged. Her last thought before she collapsed was: 'How stupid to die in front of my house', she told the jury.
Miss Farhi, who is married to playwright Sir David Hare, was robbed of an £8,000 diamond ring, cash and a Rolex watch of 'sentimental value' as she returned to her home in Hampstead on 24 April last year.
She was one of dozens of professional, well-dressed women who were stalked and attacked by the brothers, Wood Green Crown Court in London has been told.
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Giving evidence, Miss Farhi described the terrifying moment she realised she was being followed. 'I felt very ill at ease,' she said. 'I noticed a man standing by a pillar outside the driveway and looking at me. I looked at him and he walked off.
'I walked very quickly to my front door. Then I heard some footsteps. I was facing the door and I had my house keys in my hand. The footsteps were very fast and then one hand came on to my eyes and the other on to my throat. He squeezed and I fainted. I fell on top of him and I remember my last thought before I fell was ‘How stupid to die in front of my house’.'
The muggers fled when her husband opened the front door. At first, Sir David thought his wife was talking to her mother on her mobile because she was speaking French.
The Mykoo brothers are accused of driving around hunting for glamorous women in the wealthiest parts of London, including Chelsea, Kensington and Notting Hill.
Some women were attacked on the street, others in front of their homes. About a dozen were knocked unconscious during the robberies. After the thieves fled, their victims came round several minutes later to discover their belongings were gone.
The alleged robbery spree lasted for four months, from March to June last year.
Matthew Mykoo, 27, of Brent, North London, denies 18 counts of robbery and one of taking a vehicle without consent.
Daniel Mykoo, 29, of Fulham, West London, has admitted 18 counts of robbery and two vehicle offences.
The trial continues.
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