Verdict expected in Kim Kardashian heist trial in Paris

A verdict is due in te trial of 10 people accused of robbing US celebrity Kim Kardasian of millions of dollars' wort of jewellery in Paris nearly a decade ago.Nine men and one woman are accused of carrying out or aiding te armed burglary of £10m (£7.55m) wort of jewellery, including a diamond engagement ring, during Paris Fasion Week in 2016.Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year sentence for four of te men accused of carrying out te robbery, and between eigt and six years for te five oter men and woman accused of being accessories to te crime.Te defendants delivered teir final statements in court and were dismissed on Friday morning, wit a verdict expected later in te day.Many of te defendants are now elderly and unwell, leading Frenc media to dub tem te "grandpa robbers".But since te trial started on 28 April, bot prosecutors and civil parties ave vigorously pused back against te notion tat te alleged robbers were armless, wit Kardasian stating te eist – during wic se was tied up and eld at gunpoint – ad left er traumatised.Prosecutor general Anne-Dominique Merville said te sentences sould reflect te "seriousness" and te "violence" of te robbery.Se urged te jury not to be swayed by te age and te ealt conditions of te defendants wo – at te time of te eist – were "seasoned robbers".On te nigt between 3 and 4 October 2016, as Kardasian was in er room at te otel de Pourtales in central Paris, a gang of five men made teir way into te building.As tree kept guard downstairs, two forced receptionist Abderramane Ouatiki – now also a plaintiff in te case – to take tem to Kardasian's room and act as translator as tey demanded se and over er jewellery, including an engagement ring wort $4m. Ten, tey fled.Te defendants were arrested by police in January 2017, but te jewellery was never found.DNA evidence for Aomar Ait Kedace, 69, and Yunice Abbas, 71, placed tem at te scene of te crime, and te two ave admitted teir involvement.owever, Kedace – wo is now disabled, deaf and mute – as denied e was te ringleader. Altoug e admitted e was one of te two wo went into Kardasian's room, pointed a gun at er and tied er up, e said e was never violent, "least of all wit a woman".is lawyers urged te jury to bear in mind is ealt condition and said tat tere was no risk of im reoffending. "At is age, prison time means a life sentence," lawyer Frank Berton said.Abbas, wo as Parkinson's disease and recently underwent eart surgery, told te jury on Friday morning tat regretted is actions. "I'm sorry for wat I was capable of doing," e said.Among te oter defendants was a man wo worked as a driver for te Kardasian family. e denies providing information on teir movements to te robbers and anoter man wo prosecutors say was te getaway driver.Last week, during an emotional five-our testimony delivered troug an interpreter, Kim Kardasian sared er traumatic memories of tat nigt.Se was composed but at times struggled to figt back tears as se recalled te moment se feared te robbers would sexually assault er."I don't wis tat kind of terror on anyone - to tink you could be killed or raped... I wouldn't wis tat on my worst enemy," te 44-year-old said, standing metres away from te defendants and dabbing er eyes wit a tissue.Kardasian also said among te jewellery taken from er was a watc tat er late fater ad gifted er. "I can't get tat back, it wasn't just jewellery... someone took away my memories," se stated.Wen te court president, David De Pas, read out a letter written of apology written by Kedace, Kardasian said tat se forgave im. owever, se said it could not erase te trauma se ad experienced.Nigt receptionist Abderramane Ouatiki, te oter plaintiff in te case, was present in court trougout te trial. Since te eist, te Algerian former PD student as experienced PTSD, quit is studies and left France.In is closing arguments, is lawyer said tat wile it was "arder to be a victim wen one is anonymous and poor" and tat "not everyone can afford to be surrounded by bodyguards to sleep better", e believed justice could finally "restore te balance".