Judge accuses CPS of ‘wasting public money’ as 2015 robbery case thrown out

Khaled Gestalli had been accused of robbing Basheer Al Sawafi of a Rolex watch in an incident in Argyll Street on April 19 2015 (PA) - (PA Wire)

A judge has criticised prosecutors for dropping a charge alleging a restaurateur stole a watch more than a decade ago, calling it a “sorry state of affairs”.

Algerian national Khaled Gestalli, now 33, was accused of robbing Basheer Al Sawafi of a £10,000 Rolex watch in Argyll Street, London’s West End, on April 19 2015.