On Monday, a court in Palma sentenced three members of the so-called Rolex gang to a total of ten years and three months.
Shortly before quarter to nine in the evening on July 22 last year, the three - all Italian - were involved in the violent robbery of a watch valued around 20,000 euros from a German tourist in Playa de Palma.
One of the three grabbed the man by the neck, while a second snatched the Rolex watch from him. The third individual helped in their escape on a motorcycle that had been rented with false documents and which was never returned. One was arrested a few hours later; the other two were subsequently detained in Madrid.
Two of the three were both sentenced to three years and nine months for four offences; the other one to two years and nine months. An agreement between their defence lawyers and the Prosecutor's Office means that they will not serve the prison terms so long as compensation equivalent to the value of the watch is paid to the German tourist and compensation is paid in respect of the motorcycle. In addition, they are to be banned from entering Mallorca.