A travelling jewellery salesman working for American designer Le Vian was robbed of £4.1 million of gems by a Lewisham man and his gang, a court heard.

The jewel thieves stalked the salesman before violently attacking him for his suitcase containing “chocolate diamond” items, the jury was told.

They planned their heist after British high-street retailer Ernest Jones advertised where the unusual jewels would be available at stores around the country.

Camilo Carvajal, 39, from Lewisham, Ciro Troyano, 41, of Southwark and Oscar Hicks, 38, also of Southwark, are all charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

Kingston Crown Court heard the gang used a Mercedes with stolen plates to approach their unsuspecting victim after travelling in that car and a blue Ford Fiesta to Staines, Surrey.

The group stalked travelling jewellery salesman Joseph Savoie before they pounced on him in a shopping centre car park, it is alleged.

In the week before the robbery, which would leave the salesman with serious injuries, the thieves travelled to Solihull, West Midlands, to stake out the Ernest Jones store there, jurors heard.

Another member allegedly did the same the following day at a store in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

They were unaware their movements were being recorded through CCTV, mobile phone records, and ANPR cameras, the court was told.

The night before the violent attack at the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre car park, in Staines, Surrey, Mr Savoie stayed with the gems in a hotel room after not being able to deliver them to the closed Staines store.

The next morning, the group travelled together to that car park in the Ford Fiesta and Mercedes, switching the number plates on the Mercedes before the struck, the court heard.

The jury heard how just over an hour later the four assailants attacked Joseph Savoie after laying in wait in the multi-storey car park of the shopping centre.

Mr Richter said: “He parked up close to the access to the shop, he sat in his car for a few minutes because there was a funny sketch on the radio.

“He then got out of his car and made his way round to the boot where the case was. As he was walking around he became aware of another car approaching and he noticed it was a Mercedes vehicle coming towards him at a normal speed.

“He then heard the car door shut and turned around - he was punched hard in the face.

“It was so strong it immediate knocked him to the floor. As he lay on the floor he was repeatedly punched and kicked. He remember there was one male assaulting him and maybe two others at the car.

“The man who was attacking him grabbed his wrist and said ‘give me your watch.’

“He was wearing a gold necklace and that was torn from him.

“The blows he was receiving made him fade slightly in and out of consciousness and he realised he was in a very serious situation and had to protect his own life so got up and fled.

“He got some help form a store nearby and came back shortly afterwards to see what happened.

“He saw that his car had been thoroughly searched. The briefcase with £4 million worth of jewellery was gone. But not content with that the robbers had gone on to take all of his personal effects including his passport, wallet, medication, and sunglasses.”

After the robbery the gang’s Mercedes was seen speeding away at such speed it smashed right through the barrier to the car park.

Once police tracked the gang using CCTV and ANPR cameras, searches of their homes revealed items the victim identified as his, as well as a bottle of medication with his name printed on it, the court heard.

Items of jewellery were also recovered from pawn shops near the defendants' addresses, the jury was told.