Nicole Farhi ‘strangled’ in robbery

The celebrated fashion designer Nicole Farhi was strangled until she blacked out in a robbery last year, a court heard yesterday. The two men accused of attacking Farhi, the French-born co-founder of fashion label French Connection, have gone on trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

The April 2008 incident left Farhi, 62, so injured that she lost consciousness for a few minutes, as her assailants ran off with a ring, her Rolex and some cash.

Daniel Mykoo and his brother Matthew Mykoo are accused of carrying out the assault at Farhi's Hampstead home. The attack was one of a string of violent 'strangler-robber' muggings around west London between March and June of last year.

At the trial yesterday, prosecutor John Carmichael, gave Farhi's account of the assault: "She drove into the garage, closed the garage door and went from the garage to the front door. As she approached she heard running footsteps on the driveway. She was just about to turn round when she was attacked from behind. Daniel put his arm around her throat and they fell backwards and then a second male came with a knife. We say that is Matthew."

Farhi's husband, the playwright David Hare, gave chase and recorded the registration number of their getaway car, but the pair escaped.

Daniel Mykoo, 28, has pleaded guilty to 18 counts of robbery, but his 27-year-old brother denies the charges.

The court also heard how the pair also attacked BBC news reporter Sangeeta Mhaiskar outside her home in Belsize Park, northwest London. Daniel Mykoo is alleged to have grabbed Mhaiskar's neck while Matthew tried to force the rings off her fingers.

Mhaiskar thought she was about to be sexually assaulted, Carmichael said: "Matthew was saying that they were not coming off and Daniel said, 'Take the finger off then'. She was terrified." ·