Ben McPartland The chilling moments when Hampstead fashion designer Nicole Fahri was threatened with a knife and then strangled until she passed out, were described in court today. The French born fashion mogul was robbed in the driveway of her Frognal ho

Ben McPartland The chilling moments when Hampstead fashion designer Nicole Fahri was threatened with a knife and then strangled until she passed out, were described in court today.

The French born fashion mogul was robbed in the driveway of her Frognal home when she returned home after visiting friends in Highgate in March last year.

Wood Green Crown Court heard on Friday how she was attacked from behind and strangled until she passed out. She then had her ring and Rolex watched ripped from her. Her husband the playwright Sir David Hare chased off her attackers.

Matthew Mykoo, of Windsor Road, Brent and his brother Daniel are accused of robbing 17 woman around London between March 13 and June 20 last year.

Prosecution barrister John Carmichael told the jury how the men would prey on rich vulnerable women.

He said: "The crown say they preyed upon almost always women alone most of whom were wealthy or had the appearance of some wealth.

"The women were invariably targeted by Daniel and Matthew and on occasion another is involved. Having been targeted and followed, they were attacked in a manner which is of such coincidence of method to make them out as a team of strangling robbers because again and again we can see the same pattern."

"These attacks occurred in all parts of London - in Hampstead, St John's Wood, Ladbroke Grove, Chelsea, all areas you may think where the more wealthy people might reside. They were after high value rings necklaces and the like, and more often than not high value rings were taken, thousands and thousands of pounds worth.

"Most of the robberies displayed planning. The brothers actively followed the victims in their cars across quite lengthy sections of London and then attacked them, in pavements or outside their houses as they got out of their cars or in car parks."

The jury were shown CCTV images from Quintin Kynaston school of the moment the prosecution say when teacher Laura Holt was robbed by the two brothers.

Images show Ms Holt pulling into the school car park at 7.20am on the morning of March 13 last year. Mr Carmichael described the scene to the jury.

He said: "She turned into the entrance of the school past the security gates and noticed two black men wearing hooded tops walk behind her car. She collected her things from within the car. She was concerned there was no-one else around. She got out and walked towards the main building of the school. She looked back over her shoulder and saw the two men running towards her. She hoped to get into the school safely but he grabbed her around her neck. She said she feared for her life. She pretended to faint so she could fall to the floor but was help up by her throat. She remembered her earrings being pulled off and then she passed out."

Daniel Mykoo has already pleaded guilty to the charges of robbery but his brother Matthew denies the accusations. The case continues.