- Despite being threatened with what appears to be a knife, the burly Bosnia defender Kolasinac remains unfazed
- The full-back, nicknamed the Tank, then chases off the pair, who were disguised by helmets and dark clothing
LONDON: A second man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to trying to rob Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac of their watches in a moped ambush.
Jordan Northover, 26, admitted trying to steal the expensive items from the Premier League footballers in northwest London on July 25, a court heard.
Ashley Smith has already pleaded guilty to his role in the attempted raid involving Ozil, 31, and Kolasinac, 26.
New CCTV footage released by the police shows Kolasinac standing beside his close friend Ozil’s gold-trimmed black Mercedes G class 4x4 before the two attackers pull up.
Despite being threatened with what appears to be a knife, the burly Bosnia defender remains unfazed.
The full-back, nicknamed the “Tank,” then chases off the pair, who were disguised by helmets and dark clothing.
German midfielder Ozil, remains in his vehicle with his wife Amine before speeding off and taking refuge in a Turkish restaurant after being pursued by the raiders.
Police said a key breakthrough came when a moped without number plates was spotted by a member of the public.
At a previous court hearing, the value of one of the watches was given as £200,000 ($258,000).
Chief Inspector Jim Corbett said: “Northover and Smith attempted this brazen robbery after traveling around streets nearby, looking for people to rob.
“Northover didn’t hesitate to draw a weapon when making demands, but he didn’t bargain on being challenged and the pair went away empty-handed.”
World Cup winner Ozil and full-back Kolasinac were left out of Arsenal’s squad for their opening Premier League game but have since returned to action.
Ozil told the Athletic website in October that his main concern at the time was his wife’s safety.
“They told him (Kolasinac) directly, ‘Give us your watch’. Sead’s reaction was really, really brave because he attacked one of the attackers,” Ozil said in the interview.
“The second one was in front of my car on his moped so I couldn’t drive.
“We were newly wed and I was scared about my wife. I was scared about Sead. I wasn’t thinking about myself. I was worried they were going to open my wife’s door and they tried, so I reached across her to keep it closed.”