A Moroccan man in his thirties has been sent to jail in Monaco for the theft of a Rolex watch which he snatched from the wrist of a patron leaving the Twiga nghtclub in July this year, the Criminal Court was told.

The defendant had lost 900 euros in the Casino de Monte-Carlo before looking for ways to redress his losses, according to a report in local French-language newspaper Monaco Matin.

According to prosecutor Alexia Brianti the accused had been convicted several times in France for theft, narcotics, violence with a weapon, and falsification. Meanwhile, his defence counsel argued that leaving his client in detention after several months in prison would not solve his problems.

Sentenced to six months in prison and a 1,000- euro fine, the defendant will be released in forty-five days after deduction of pre-trial detention and the remission of sentence.

PHOTO: Monaco’s courthouse