Kim Kardashian trial live: Star arrives at Paris court to confront 'grandpa gang' suspects accused of tying her up at gunpoint in $10 million jewellery heist

Kim Kardashian has began giving evidence in the trial and started by introducing herself to the court.

In her first remarks in court, she says:

Hi. I'm Kim Kardashian and I just want to thank everyone, especially the French authorities for allowing me to be here and testify today and allowing me to share my truth.

A court sketch of Simone Bretter, Kim Kardashian's former stylist, has just dropped following her evidence in court this morning.

We can now show you footage of the moment Kim Kardashian arrived at court in Paris to give evidence in her robbery trial.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest updates from inside court as Kardashian confronts the 'grandpa gang' suspects accused of stealing $10 million of jewellery from her.

Watch the video below:

Kim Kardashian was flanked by her mother Kris Jenner and her security team as he made her entrance to the Palais de Justice court in Paris.

She is about to give evidence in her robbery trial which opened in the French capital last month.

Kim Kardashian came face to face with the suspected gangsters who put a gun in her face and made her believe she was going go to raped and murder in her Parisian hotel room nine years ago, as she prepared to give evidence at her $10 million jewellery heist trial this afternoon.

The American celebrity brought hushed silence to the packed Voltaire room of the Palais de Justice in the heart of the French capital as she walked into the court room.

Wearing a black opened-neck suit jacket with a diamond necklace and ear rings and her tied back in a high pony tail, the 44-year-old, was accompanied by her mother Kris Jenner and a three-man security team.

Kim Kardashian has arrived at the Palais de Justice court in Paris to give evidence this afternoon.

The American reality TV star was pictured exiting a car near the court building wearing dark sunglasses.

Police have kept guard outside the court ahead of her entrance.

Ten defendants are standing in the Kim Kardashian robbery trial which started in Paris on April 28 and is listed for a month.

The group have been referred to by the French media as the 'grandpa gang' because some are in their 60s and 70s.

Here's what we know about the nine men and one woman at the centre of the case:

The following defendants are charged with 'armed robbery in an organised gang' and with 'kidnapping':

• Aomar Aït Khedache, 69

Known as 'Old Omar', he was the self-confessed leader of Omar & Co, the gang that carried out the Kardashian heist in October 2016.

Aït Khedache, who was first imprisoned on drug offences at the age of 14, was released from a remand cell in April 2020 because of serious ill health including heart problems.

He is now living in a Paris suburb, having publicly admitted kidnapping and robbing Kim Kardashian.

• Yunice Abbas, 72

The convicted criminal has spent at least 20 years of his life in prison, and admits acting as look-out during the Kardashian heist.

He underwent a triple heart bypass operation during one spell inside. Abbas has written a book called I kidnapped Kim Kardashian. Known for his fake alibis, he infamously said of his wife, Farida Abbas: 'I've been lying to her all my life so as to protect her'.

He now lives with Madame Abbas in northern Paris, where she is nursing him constantly.

• Didier 'Blue Eyes' Dubreucq, 69

Allegedly the second robber to enter Kim Kardashian's penthouse, along with Old Omar.

Dubreucq has served 23 years in prison for a post office robbery and for importing two tons of Colombian cocaine into Europe via a Saudi Arbian prince's private jet.

The heavy smoker now has lung cancer, and was the first to be released from his remand cell following his arrest in connection with the Kardashian heist.

• Marc-Alexandre 'The Kid' Boyer, 36

A self-styled 'dog babysitter', Boyer was sentenced to six years for drug offences in 2013, but cleared on appeal, and let out out of prison in July 2016, just three months before the Kardashian heist.

Phone analysis placed him in Paris on the night of the robbery, and he 'took the first high-speed train to Nice,' in the South of France, the next morning, say investigators.

A pair of Armnani trousers filmed on the night of the crime has been linked to Boyer, who is currently based in Antibes, near Nice.

The following are charged with various offences, ranging from 'complicity in the crimes' against Kim Kardashian to 'association with criminals' and 'concealment' of stolen property

• Christiane 'Cathy' Glotin, 78

A long-term career criminal who was first convicted of drugs offences in the early 90s, Glotin has lived with with some of the biggest names in the Paris criminal underworld, including Old Omar.

She is said to have helped organise the Kardashian heist, and allegedly travelled to Antwerp to sell the swag.

The heavy smoker is currently being treated for throat cancer, as well as back and heart problems.

She now lives quietly in Charenton-le-Pont, in the south eastern Paris suburbs, and 'is involved in charity work,' according to a close friend.

• François 'Big Guy' Delaporte, 61

The convicted drug trafficker and counterfeit bank note dealer was originally said to have been caught on surveillance cameras around the scene of the robbery.

A distinctive limp was noted by police investigators, but this was later attributed to another suspect.

Despite this, Delaporte is still alleged to have been 'associating' with the gang, and 'possessing false administrative documents.'

He currently works for a construction company in the greater Paris area.

• Florus Héroui, 52

The bar manager who allegedly passed on information about Kim Kardashian's movements in Paris to Old Omar, Héroui had close personal links to Ms Kardashian's official driver in Paris.

When police raided his apartment after the Kardashian heist, they allegedly found the equivalent of £120,000 in cash wrapped in a clothes cupboard, eight mobile phones, and a handgun and ammunition.

Héroui is said to have exercised his right to silence during a custody period, and is now living with his wife in Paris, while complaining of heart problems.

• Harminy Aït Khedache, 38

Known as 'Mimi', Old Omar's son is said to have acted as getaway driver on the night of the Kardashian heist.

When police raided his home, they found nine mobile phones, a Beretta pistol, and ammunition.

• Gary Madar, 34

The clean-cut VIP greeter and celebrity fixer worked for the car company used by Kim Kardashian when she was in Paris.

He is said to have provided detailed information about her movements to the heist gang.

Describing Mr Madar as 'kind, warm and calm,' Ms. Kardashian said: 'When we arrived in Paris, we were always excited to see his familiar face.'

• Marc Boyer, 62

The father of Marc-Alexandre Boyer is charged with 'possession of a category B firearm without authorisation' – namely the German World War I Mauser 7.65mm pistol used to attack Ms Kardashian.

Well known to the police, Marc Boyer is long-term friend of Pierre Bouainère. Boyer Senior allegedly pulled out of the Kardashian robbery at the last moment, and was replaced by his son, Marc-Alexandre Boyer.

The robbery of Kim Kardashian sent shock waves far beyond Paris.

It was the latest moment when celebrity exposure - fueled by social media updates and glamour on display - collided with real-world risk.

The raid forced her to consider how she lived, posted and protected herself. Her brand had been built on access, her life broadcast to millions. But that strategy had collapsed.

'I learned to be more private,' she later said.

Kardashian enhanced her security detail by hiring people with backgrounds in elite protective services, reportedly including former members of the U.S. Secret Service and CIA. She stopped posting her location in real time. Lavish gifts and jewellery all but vanished from her feed.

'I was definitely materialistic before - but I'm so happy that my kids get this me,' she reflected on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2017.

Later, Kardashian acknowledged that constant sharing had made her a target. 'People were watching. They knew what I had. They knew where I was.'

Her retreat set off a ripple effect across Hollywood and the fashion world.

If you're just joining our live coverage of the Kim Kardashian robbery trial in Paris today, we've heard evidence from her former stylist Simone Bretter (pictured below in a court sketch) who raised the alarm when the carried out while hiding in a bathroom on the first floor of the apartment.

Here's what she told the court:

• Kim Kardashian screamed 'I have babies and I need to live' as armed robbers burst into her Paris hotel suite where they held her at gunpoint, tied her up and stole jewels worth $10 million
• Simone Bretter, who was hiding in a bathroom on the first floor of the duplex, said she woke to 'terror' and that she feared Kardashian had been raped and would die following the raid
• She told the court Kardashian was extremely traumatised following the raid and considered jumping out the hotel window over fears the robbers could return for her
• Ms Bretter said Kardashian now has a 'completely different lifestyle' following the robbery which has changed her 'forever' with the star now unable to be by herself
• She denied the robbery was as a result of social media posts flaunting Kardashian's jewellery which included a $4 million engagement ring given to her by former husband Kanye West
• Ms Bretter said she changed her career to avoid working with celebrities following the robbery and that she and Kardashian had undergone therapy

The court will resume at 12:30pm UK time and this afternoon we are expecting Kardashian to give evidence herself as she confronts the suspected thieves for the first time since the robbery happened in 2016.

The court has just seen Aomar Ait Khedache pass a note to Kim Kardashian's former stylist Simone Bretter asking for her forgiveness following the robbery in 2016.

Known as Old Omar, Ait Khedache, 68, is one of two defendants who have admitted partial involvement in the raid.

Ait Khedache is the alleged ringleader of the gang who was first imprisoned on drug offences at the age of 14.

He was released from a remand cell in April 2020 because of serious ill health including heart problems.

The court is now taking a break for 90 minutes before we return with Kim Kardashian's evidence.

Simone Bretter has now completed giving her evidence but has been asked by the judge to remain in court as he passed a message from one of the defendants.

The judge told her that Aomar Ait Khedache, aka Old Omar, the alleged ringleader of the gang, had made a sign to say he would like to give her a message

Ait Khedache then writes a message which is passed to the judge

It reads:

I don’t want to ask you for your forgiveness that is too simple. If there was a hole I am ready to throw myself in it.

Judge David De Pas tells Ms Bretter:

Mr Ait Khedache has asked for your forgiveness. He wrote to Kim Kardashian from prison to apologise to her.

The trial has now been adjounred until 1.30pm local time (12:30pm UK time).

A lawyer representing Gary Madar, one of the defendants accused of taking part in the robbery, has asked Ms Bretter whether Kardashian had advertised she was alone in the Paris apartment.

Ms Bretter was questioned whether Kardashian had posted a Snapchat shortly before the raid telling fans everyone had gone out for the night and left her all alone.

The former stylist said she couldn't say whether the Snapchat was posted or not.

The lawyer then tells Ms Bretter she said Kardashian kept her hotel window open and was visible.

Ms Bretter said that was correct but added she didn't believe people could see her from the street.

*Gary Madar worked as a VIP greeter and celebrity fixer in Paris and is accused of providing information about her movements to the heist gang

Ms Bretter has told how she found it 'impossible' to leave her hiding place in the bathroom during the robbery as she feared she would be attacked.

Asked by the prosecutor why Kardashian was so afraid she considered jumping out of the hotel window, she replied:

We didn’t know if they were still in the hotel. We didn’t know if they had come for Kim particularly or they were robbing the whole hotel.

We were afraid for our lives. I was afraid that if I left my hiding spot I would be hurt. It was impossible for me to leave.

Ms Bretter was asked whether it was her decision as Kardashian's stylist to post pictures of jewellery on social media.

She that while sometimes the friends jointly agreed on what to post, 'ultimately Kim decided what was posted on social media'.

She added:

I think part of Kim’s job is that she posts all the time.

The prosecutor is now questioning Simone Bretter on hers and Kardashian's security arrangements while staying in Paris.

Asked whether she had previously been afraid for her security, she said she hadn't.

She was then asked her thoughts on being housed in the duplex apartment where she stayed on the first floor and Kardashian above.

She told the court:

When I heard we were staying there I thought it would be good, because it was inconspicuous.

I can’t speak about Kim’s security details. Also Pascal is very capable man. I’ve worked with him with other clients. He could manage a number of people at the same time.

Simone Bretter has told the court she had never seen Kim Kardashian in a state of extreme tension before despite supporting her through grief and divorce.

Asked by Kardashian's lawyer Benjamin Mattout about the impact the robbery had on her friend, Ms Bretter broke down in her response as she reiterated she believed Kardashian was being raped and could die in the attack.

She said:

I have never seen her like that. I’ve seen her through the death of family, through divorce, through the worst of time, in very, very difficult times, but I’ve never seen her like that.

I think for a long time afterwards, she went to therapy because of this. She lost her freedom. I can’t even go to her house anymore without being announced. Her life is completely different.

Kim Kardashian's friend and personal stylist told the court how she changed her careers following the robbery in 2016 to avoid working with celebrities.

Simone Bretter said she switched to interior design as she became 'fearful' of being around wealthy stars.

Asked by Kardashian's lawyer Leonor Hennerick how the robbery affected her, she said she burst into tears on the plane coming home and cried 'almost all the way'.

I remember crying next to a stranger and I remember thinking this person must think that I had lost my mind.

Questioned on how it had changed her life, she said:

After this I didn’t want to work with celebrities any more. I didn’t want to travel with them. So I stopped working. Then I changed careers and started working in interior design.

That experience was very stressful for me and it made me very fearful of being around celebrities and so I opted for a different profession.

I had therapy for post -traumatic stress. To this day I’m very sensitive to loud noise. To be woken up to screaming is not a normal thing. Films and loud noises scare me.

Kim Kardashian lost her sense of freedom and now lives a completely different lifestyle following the robbery in Paris nine years ago, a court heard today.

Simone Bretter said the robbery changed both hers and Kardashian's lives forever.

Asked about whether she has talked with Kardashian about her ordeal, she told the court:

Yes. we’ve spoken about it. I think that moment forever. It changed for both of us. But particularly her. Her loss of freedom. She now has a completely different lifestyle.

In terms of security. She can’t go alone. She doesn’t go alone any more. To lose your sense of freedom is horrible.

Asked by the judge what she wanted from the trial, Ms Bretter said she wanted 'justice to be served'.

Ms Bretter has told the court she doesn't believe Kim Kardashian was robbed because she flaunted her jewellery on social media.

Asked whether Kardashian considered the risk of wearing expensive valuables, Ms Bretter told judge David de Pas that she had worked with many celebrities and none had thought they shouldn't wear jewellery in case they get robbed.

Questioned on whether Kardashian's social media posts may have led to the raid, Ms Bretter said she didn't believe so.

Taking questions from judge David De Pas, Ms Bretter is asked about Kardashian said to her immediately following the robbery.

She tells him:

She was not making much sense. It was clear she had experienced extreme trauma. She was saying; ‘I’ve got to call Kanye, I’ve got to call my mom. There were these men’

She also told the court Kardashian said the pair needed to find an escape route in case the robbers returned to the hotel suite.

We were in my room, which had doors to the outside. She said we have to jump out. Then we ran into the areas where the clothes racks were, where there are doors to a courtyard, that was where the tape was. She was trying to find a way to be safe.

Asked whether it was normal that Kardashian's bodyguard Pascal Duvier was absent at the time, Ms Bretter said it was 'very normal'.

We never thought that when in the hotel room, we should fear for our safety.

Simone Bretter has told the court she spent about 10 to 15 minutes in the bathroom while the robbery on Kardashian was carried out but that it felt 'like an hour'.

Ms Bretter was on the first of a two-storey suite when Kardashian was targeted.

Explaining the scenes immediately afterwards when she was met by Kardashian bound by her feet, she told the court she 'just wanted to go home'.

She added:

I took tape off her ankles. I believe she had tape on her mouth, but she had taken it off.

Ms Bretter has described how a traumatised Kim Kardashian was 'not in her body' when her bodyguard arrived at their hotel following the heist.

A couple of hours later, police arrived to take statements, according to Ms Bretter.

Speaking to the court, she said:

I can say that for Kim, it was like she was not in her body, she was in so much shock from trauma. We didn’t know where the men were, or if they would come back.

She said police officers at the scene were 'focused' on Kardashian and that she was 'confused' they didn't want a more detailed statement from her.

She added:

At one point I asked Kourtney friend who spoke French to ask if anyone wanted to take my statement. It was more like ‘oh you were here’.

He didn’t ask many questions.

by Nick Fagge

Ms Bretter has told the court in Paris she feared the 'worst' for Kim Kardashian adding she was worried the reality TV star had been 'raped or violated' by robbers who burst into her hotel suite.

Speaking in court, she said:

I thought they were coming to me next. And I was very afraid about what was happening to my friend upstairs.

I had no idea what was going on I feared she was raped or violated. I feared the worst. It felt a long time. Then the noises stopped.

Ms Bretter then said she heard Kardashian call out her name and scream: 'are they gone?' before the star entered her room with her feet taped together.

She continued:

She just was screaming. ‘;we need to get out of here, we need help. We may need to jump out of first floor, what are we going to do? She was thinking how are we going to be safe, how are we going to survive.

Ms Bretter has said she heard Kim Kardashian shout: 'I have babies and I need to live' as she was being robbed in her luxury Paris hotel room.

She said she became 'very afraid' for her life and Kardashian's as she scrambled to find her phone and raise the alarm.

She texted bodyguard Pascal Duvier who was out in Paris with Kourtney Kardashian.

She told the court:

I went to the door of my room to make sure what I heard was true and to lock the door to my room. I heard rumbling loud noises men screaming and Kim was still screaming.

I didn’t have the lock on the door. I thought I’m going to be next, and how am I going to get help.

Simone Bretter has told the court she was woken up to the sound of 'terror' coming from Kim Kardashian's room as the raid unfolded.

She explained she went to her room after they attended the Givenchy show during Paris Fashion Week and that she had no plans to head out again.

Ms Bretter said she fell asleep to background noise but woke to screams.

I should say before I go further that not only have I worked for Kim, I've also been friends with her for a long time.

So this is to say I know her very well, I know her sounds, mannerisms - I know when she's laughing, happy, or when she's more serious.

We've been friends since we were little girls. so when I heard the sound it was very different and it woke me up - it was a sound I'd never heard from Kim. It was terror.

Simone Bretter, Kim Kardashian’s stylist, who managed to raise the alarm with her bodyguard during the raid, has entered the court room.

She is said to have locked herself in a bathroom and called Kardashian’s bodyguard Pascal Duvier, who was at a nightclub with Kim's sisters Kourtney and Kendall.

Dressed in a black suit and white blouse, the blonde-haired young woman appeared nervous as she chatted with her French legal team ahead of giving evidence.

She is sat within touching distance of one of the defendants – the imposing figure of Marc-Alexandre Boyer, who along with his father Marc Boyer is accused of providing the guns and the ammunition used in the heist.

Ms Bretter is expected to give her evidence in English and for her words to be translated into French by a court-appointed translator.

Simone Bretter pictured in Los Angeles earlier this month

The ten defendants accused in the Kim Kardashian heist trial have filed into court – many with their faces hidden by surgical masks.

The principal defendant Aomar Ait Khedache - aka Old Omar – took his seat closest to the judge’s chair. He is accused of masterminding the $10 million raid and being one of two men who held her up at gunpoint.

His former mistress Christiane Glotin – aka Cathy – wandered out of the well of the court to kiss a French journalist sat on the press benches on both cheeks and to exchange a few words.

The hotel concierge at the time, Abderrahmane Ouatiki who was also held up at gunpoint and yesterday told the court he thought he was going to die, also took his seat in the court reserved for victims.

Abderrahmane Ouatiki flanked by his lawyers at court

The suspected ringleader of the ‘grandpa gang' that stole £10million-worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian can now barely speak or hear, a court was told last month.

Aomar Aït Khedache, 70, has already admitted using a revolver in the raid on the reality TV star’s Paris penthouse in 2016.

Aït Khedache – who is nicknamed ‘Old Omar’ – has been ‘declared 80 per cent disabled,’ said his defence barrister, Chloé Arnoux.

His son – the alleged getaway driver Harminy Aït Khedache – has already complained that having his father appear in court is a 'source of stress'

The Frenchmen are both said to have played crucial roles in the robbery that subjected terrified Kardashian after the American arrived in France for Paris Fashion Week.

Read more by Peter Allen here:

One of the gang who wrote a 'boastful and mocking' book about robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint has previously told a court: 'I do regret what I did, it opened my eyes.'

Yunice Abbas, 72, has admitted his role in the raid targeting the American reality TV star, in which $10million of jewellery was stolen and never recovered.

Appearing at the Paris Assizes last month, Judge David Pas said to Abbas: 'Listening to you, it sounds like you only ever feel sorry for yourself. Do you have any sympathy for your victims?

Abbas, who is 72 and who underwent a triple bypass operation during a spell in prison, answered:

I do have regrets. Before I didn't. But this time I do regret what I did. This case has opened my eyes. The Kim Kardashian case was being talked about on TV all the time, and it led to me asking some questions.

Read more from Peter Allen here:

Extra security has been drafted in near the Palais de Justice courthouse

by Peter Allen

A vast security operation unfolded in Paris today as Kim Kardashian prepared to tell a court how she feared being 'shot and killed’ as she was robbed of $10million-worth of jewels.

Hundreds of extra police and gendarmes were mobilised around the historic Palais de Justice in the centre of the French capital, where the 44-year-old American reality TV star was due on Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Kardashian arrived in France on Monday afternoon via a private jet which landed at Paris-Le Bourget airport.

Surrounded by security guards, she was driven to a secret location, to prepare for her appearance at the Paris Assizes.

She has been told by her lawyers not to say anything until after her appearance in court, which is likely to last a couple of hours.

The public prosecutor’s office confirmed that ‘a specific security arrangement is planned,’ to make sure Ms Kardashian got in and out of the Voltaire Chamber of the Assizes safely.

Reinforcements could be seen lining the streets outside by first light on Tuesday morning, and they included special forces officers with heavy machine guns.

by Nick Fagge in Paris

Hundreds of journalists from across the world queued since dawn outside France’s most prestigious court this morning to hear Kim Kardashian’s bombshell account how she was robbed at gunpoint in a terrifying jewel heist nine years ago.

The earliest reporters to arrive began queueing at 5am, some four hours before the court building opened.

Reporters vied for a limited number of seats inside the Voltaire room at the Paris Palais de Justice at the heart of the French capital. A second courtroom has been opened for journalists following via video feed.

Ms Kardashian is expected to relive the terrifying raid in the Wosky hours of 3 October 2016 this afternoon.

But first the court will hear from her assistant Simone Bretter, formerly known as Simone Harouche, who managed to hide inside the luxury hotel apartment during the raid.

Aomar Ait Khedache, one of the 'grandpa gang'

The gang of thieves at the centre of the Kim Kardashian heist were dubbed the 'grandpa gang' by the French media as most are now in their 60s and 70s and suffering from a range of illnesses including Alzheimer’s.

They were charged following an extensive investigation launched following the robbery eight-and-a-half years ago during one of the busiest weeks in the Parisian calendar - Paris Fashion Week.

Twelve suspects were charged, but only 10 are standing trial in Paris, nine men and one woman, with proceedings delayed as a result of Covid and other high-profile cases.

One of the suspects, Pierre 'Big Pierrot' Bouianere, 72, was ruled unfit to enter the dock because he is suffering from Alzheimer's, while another, Marceau Baum-Gertner, has since died.

Those taking the stand face charges including armed robbery, membership of a criminal gang, and kidnapping – which refers to Kardashian being held hostage at gunpoint. Some are accused of aiding in the organisation of the robbery.

Eight of the accused deny any involvement while two suspects, Yunice Abbas, 72, and Aomar Ait Khedache, 70, have admitted participating in the heist.

The other men on trial include:

• Gary Madar: 35-year-old is accused of being an informant, potentially providing information about Kardashian's location.
• Marc Boyer: 78-year-old is accused of obtaining the gun used in the robbery.
• Marc-Alexandre Boyer: 36-year-old son of Marc Boyer who is accused of participating in the robbery
• Harminy Ait Khedache: 38-year-old son of Omar who is accused of tailing the reality TV star's limousine as she was driven around the city.
• Didier Dubreucq: 69-year-old is accused of being one of the two men who entered Kim's penthouse and put a gun to her head.
• Francois Delaporte: 61-year-old is accused of taking part in the robbery
• Christiane ‘Cathy’ Glotin: 78-year-old is accused of helping to organise the Kardashian heist, and allegedly travelled to Antwerp to sell the swag - the only female defendant
• Florus Héroui: 52-year-old is accused of passing on information about Ms Kardashian’s movements in Paris to Old Omar.

Surveillance footage helped French police reconstruct the timeline of the robbery, but the breakthrough came from a trace of DNA left on the plastic ties used to bind Kardashian.

It matched Aomar Aït Khedache, a veteran criminal whose DNA was in the national database.

Phone taps and surveillance led police to others, including Yunice Abbas and Didier Dubreucq, known as 'Yeux bleus.'

Most of the accused have long criminal records.

Abbas later claimed he was unaware of Kardashian's identity during the heist.

But investigators say the men acted with detailed planning and discipline. Prepaid phones were activated the day before the heist and abandoned immediately afterward.

Kardashian pictured wearing her engagement ring in Paris days before raid

Masked men walked away with millions of dollars' worth of jewels in what was described by the French media as the 'heist of the century'.

At the centrepiece was an 18.8-carat diamond ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The jewel was valued at 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million).

Alongside the ring, a yellow gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, seven Cartier and Hermès bracelets, and three gold-and-diamond grills were also taken.

The total estimated value of the raid was estimated at around $10 million.

One of the robbers, Pierre 'Big Pierrot' Bouianere, 72, is believed to have dropped one platinum cross adorned with diamonds that was found the next morning.

The item was the only piece returned to Kardashian after it was handed in at a nearby police station.

Kim Kardiashan with her then husband Kanye West in 2015

Today's trial dates back to the audacious early hours raid in October 2016 during Paris Fashion Week when Kim Kardashian was at the height of celebrity and married to rap superstar Kanye West.

Ms Kardashian, then 35, was alone in the penthouse apartment of her £13,500-a-night hotel, dozing on the bed in a silk night gown, when two men disguised as policemen burst into the room and put a gun to her head.

The celebrity was bound and gagged, 'like a sausage' and dumped in the bath of her ensuite bathroom while robbers spent 49 minutes snatching millions of pounds worth of gems and watches including her 18.88 carat diamond engagement ring.

As they fled, one robber dropped a platinum cross adorned with diamonds that was found the next morning.

Visibly traumatised Kim Kardashian fled the country by private jet after giving a brief statement to French detectives and was consoled by husband Kanye West who halted a concert, telling fans he had a 'family emergency'.

Ms Kardashian has been denied justice for years, with delays on bringing the case to court blamed on the priority of high-profile terrorist trials.

• For more details of the robbery click here

The trial is being heard at the Palais de Justice

A new podcast has launched, part of the Mail's award-winning 'The Trial' series, which looks at the elderly masterminds who stand accused of enacting the 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian in her Paris hotel room.

Hosted by the Mail's acclaimed crime correspondent Caroline Cheetham and reporter in Paris Nick Fagge, the first episode of this new series lays the groundwork for the long-awaited trial of 10 suspects, dubbed the 'grandpa gang' by French media.

Listen to full episodes now of The Trial: Kim Kardashian Heist as Cheetham and Fagge share all the revelations about the gang from the trial.

We're expecting Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris at around 2pm local time (1pm UK time).

Before she gives evidence, we're expecting to hear from her stylist Simone Bretter.

Bretter, a friend of Kardashian who has known her since she was 11, was staying in Paris at the time of the raid but on a different floor.

She is said to have locked herself in a bathroom and called Kardashian’s bodyguard Pascal Duvier, who was at a nightclub with Kim's sisters Kourtney and Kendall.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline's live coverage as Kim Kardashian testifies in a Paris court against the suspected thieves who allegedly targeted her in a terrifying jewellery heist in the French capital.

Nine years ago, Kardashian was tied-up, gagged and locked in a bathroom inside a luxury hotel by a group of thieves who had disguised themselves as police officers.

She was allegedly targeted by criminals after showing off her jewellery on social media.

The American businesswoman and reality TV star later fled the country by private jet after speaking to French detectives.

In previous years, she has told how the raid left her afraid to be alone and that she thought she would be killed by the robbers, but more recently that she is ready to face her assailants.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest from Kardashian's appearance in the courtroom with Nick Fagge reporting from the Paris criminal court and Jamie Bullen in London.