Seen from afar, they were the characters in a spectacular heist story. Yet, up close, they were simply defendants, struggling to extricate themselves from the heavy charges of a robbery case. Throughout the first three days of hearings at the trial of American television star Kim Kardashian's robbers, the court heard intermittent confessions, fierce denials and muddled explanations, all of which the court and jurors will take into account in their deliberation.

Out of the trial's 10 defendants, two had no choice but to confess, as their DNA exposed them. Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, who was presented as the mastermind behind the operation, admitted to having gone upstairs with an accomplice to hold Kardashian hostage and steal her jewelry. Yunice Abbas, meanwhile, admitted to having been part of the team that stayed on the ground floor, after having handcuffed the night watchman.

Abbas, who has Parkinson's disease, was the first to be questioned. Surveillance cameras captured footage of him falling from a bicycle at 3 am on October 3, 2016, with his face clearly visible on screen, along with a bag that contained part of the stolen jewelry. Moreover, €65,000 in €50 notes were found at his home and his son's house. "My bike had a flat tire, the bag was closing poorly, the strap got caught in the front wheel," said Abbas, 71. He also revealed a detail that escaped the cameras' notice: "Just before, I was cycling on the sidewalk and then I crossed paths with a police car. I told myself it was done for: I made a gesture like I was surrendering. And the police thought I was saying hello, they replied hello."

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