An England football fan, accused of robbing Formula One racing driver Lando Norris of his expensive designer watch at the Euro 2020 final, told his trial two mystery Londoners he met outside the stadium were responsible.
Lando Norris at Euro 2020 Final
Trainee Bricklayer Liam Williams, 25, of Oak Street, Bootle, Merseyside denies snatching the McLaren star’s £144,000 Richard Mille timepiece from his wrist after the final, which England lost on penalties following a 1-1 draw with Italy.
His DNA was found on the racing driver’s wrist, but he told the Harrow Crown Court jury: “My DNA was there because I was with the people that day and it is secondary transfer.”
After failing to gain access to the final Williams says he watched the match on his mobile phone outside a Wembley pub with a group of locals.
“My DNA has been passed on by other people,” he told the trial. “It was lively, people were drinking and when we scored the penalties people were jumping up and grabbing each other, grabbing hands and celebrating.”
Norris, 23, was robbed of his unique RM 67-02 watch - one of only five in the world - while standing next to his bright orange £165,000 McLaren GT in the VIP car park after the July 11, 2021 final.
“After the match the two others that had left came back within an hour with the watch and were showing it,” Williams told the trial. “I didn’t know it had been robbed.
“They were in a circle looking at it and I just popped my head over and looked at it. I just thought they had found the watch or something.
“Within five minutes the two lads with the watch left us. They were both white, with London accents and short hair.”
He explained his movements earlier that day. “My intention was to go down and buy a ticket to watch the match in the stadium. I did not have a ticket and intended to purchase one outside the ground.”
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| Lando Norris with Richard Mille watch |
He and three pals drove from Liverpool to north-west London in a black Mercedes, but all failed to buy a ticket for the final, he explained.
When pressed by prosecutor Tyrone Silcott he could not give phone numbers or addresses for the trio, who he named as James Kelly; John Thompson and Dylan Jones.
“The price was too expensive so that was it,” he said. “We couldn’t buy any tickets so we tried to bunk into the ground and unfortunately I was the only one who did not get in.
“They got in behind someone else on someone else’s ticket.”
Williams said he bumped into a Londoner he knew from a Croatia music festival and ended up watching the final on his own mobile phone outside a Wembley pub.
“He was with two friends and he was selling cocaine and I bought some cocaine off him. I just do it at social events, it is not a weekly thing, not a regular thing.”
Williams said two more Londoners joined the group and all six of them watched the match on his phone.
The prosecution case is that Williams’ DNA was found on Norris’s scratched left wrist after the star driver was put into a headlock by a mystery male and the watch ripped off by an accomplice, which they say is the defendant.
Williams has pleaded not guilty to one count of robbing Norris outside the stadium between July 10 and 13, 2021.
Norris had driven with a friend called Max from the Goodwood Festival of Speed to attend the final and parked in the Yellow car park.
In his police statement he explained: “After attending Wembley Stadium I was speaking to members of the public and noticed Suspect One and Suspect Two walk around my car, while I was talking to other people.
“I noticed them looking at my car and myself and the first one was keeping his head down and had his right hand near his pocket.
“Suspect One slowly approached me and asked me: ‘Is this your car?’ I don’t recall exactly what happened, but Suspect One then went behind me and put his right arm around my neck and his left arm under my back.
“Suspect One pulled me into him and pulled me back on my neck, meaning I was facing the sky and I couldn’t see him at this point.
“Suspect One told Suspect Two to grab my watch. He shouted multiple times: ‘Grab the watch.’
“Suspect One was holding me the whole time and Suspect Two was trying to grab the watch.
“He struggled for a while and then used force to pull the watch off, leaving scratches on my arm.”
Police officer David Barrett investigated and told the jury a 999 call reporting the robbery was made by witness Jason Parish at six minutes after midnight, but he did not wish to make a statement.
“He said: ‘I can’t really help you.’ He was not interested in getting involved and nobody else came forward.
“There was one other person sitting in a car, but they could not help and several people sitting in a coach said they did not really see anything, but were there, which was not very helpful,” said the officer.
Even Norris’ friend Max did not give additional assistance to the police investigation. “I did not get any statement at all from anybody. Everyone said: ‘I can’t help, I don’t want to get involved.’
“When I contacted them they did not want to give a statement. Nobody wanted to give me any statement at all and Max would not provide a statement.”
When officers visited the home of Williams’ parents in Bootle he was not there and they were given permission to search the address without a warrant.
Williams gave himself up to police on July 18, 2021 and when Norris was helicoptered in for an identity parade he failed to pick out the defendant.
Williams told the jury he ended the night at a party, where the two Londoners were also present. “I was told if I named anyone there would be consequences, I was threatened.
“They had the watch out at the party, but I did not really want to get involved. I realised the watch was stolen.”
Williams said he later abandoned his phone number because he was in danger. “I started receiving threats. My suspicion was these lads thought I would give them up for the reward.”
However, prosecutor Mr Silcott suggested there was a more sinister reason for why he stopped using the phone number. “You knew you committed this robbery and were worried about being traced.”
Williams replied: “I don’t agree with that.”
The prosecutor also accused Williams of shaving off his heard and shaving his head when he knew police were looking for him to foil identification, but the defendant claimed he had done this weeks before the match.
“You have waited until late in the day to give an account that fits the evidence and have used your legal shield to avoid giving an account until the very last moment so the facts you give cannot be checked,” suggested Mr Silcott.
“That’s not true,” replied Williams, who is of good character, telling the court he took the advice of a solicitor to not answer police questions.
Referring to grainy CCTV footage of the two robbery suspects the prosecutor said: “That’s you waking with your spoils isn’t it? It was you who robbed Lando Norris that evening.
“One of you pulled his neck back and the other pulled the watch off his wrist.”
“You are just making that assumption,” replied Williams. “I am not telling a story. I am giving my account.”
Trial continues………….
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