Were bike muggers waiting to target McIntyre?
Michael McIntyre may have been watched by the motorcycle thieves who stole his Rolex in a hammer attack.
Police suspect the masked attackers may have followed the comedian after he left his £ .7million home in Hampstead, north London. They believe the offenders are a ‘cut above’ the smash-andgrab moped gangs causing misery across the capital.
Investigators are trying to piece together witness accounts, CCTV footage and other clues in a bid to identify the culprits.
McIntyre, 42, was the victim of a 30-second attack in which the men smashed the windows of his Range Rover and stole his watch. He had just picked up his ten-year-old son Oscar from school when the attackers struck on Monday afternoon. Photographs showed him comforting the child as onlookers gathered around to check they were not injured.
Last night, the multi-millionaire insisted he was ‘fine’ and would still take the stage in Dublin tomorrow night as part of his Big World Tour.
Speaking outside his home, McIntyre said: ‘I can’t really say what’s happening, we’re in the process of sorting this out. There’s been an incident and we’re dealing with it. I need to find out the best thing to do here, I can’t say anything. This is not a wind up, it’s ongoing and I can’t share the details.’ Earlier, his wife Kitty, also 42, an aromatherapist, said: ‘He is fine.’ Asked if the couple were concerned about the family’s safety, she replied: ‘No.’
More than 24 hours after the attack, more details emerged of how McIntyre fell out of his car as he tried to fight off the robbers. It appears he was targeted while he waited outside the school for second son Lucas, 13.
One witness said: ‘The guy at the front of the moped started to hit the driver’s window about ten to 1 times and it eventually cracked. He opens the door and gets Michael out of the car. He fell but he was still trying to put up a fight.
‘And then within seconds they were gone down the hill. It was all so quick – the whole thing must have taken 30 seconds.’
Another resident added: ‘It seemed as if Michael was their target - there are a lot of celebrities in this area and the parents of the schools have been targeted in the past.’