Man guilty of mugging Prince Harry's friend

A man has been found guilty of mugging a friend of Prince Harry while the pair were talking on the phone.

Thomas van Straubenzee was robbed walking home from work in south-west London on 30 November.

Winful Taylor, 27, of Stockwell, south London, had denied robbing him of two mobile phones and his wallet.

Jurors heard the accused had pleaded guilty to two robberies carried out in 2006.

He was also convicted earlier this year of an attempted robbery carried out in Hyde Park - five weeks before Mr van Straubenzee was mugged.

After the mugging the prince drove to south London to come to his friend's aid.

The pair first met at Ludgrove Prep School.

Judge Richard Southwell had told jurors to ignore press reports about Mr van Straubenzee's relationship with the prince.

He said: "It is public knowledge but it does not form any part of the evidence you have to consider in this case."

Two days after the robbery, police found Taylor with two mobile phones. One was a Samsung and one was Mr van Straubenzee's red Nokia.

His wallet and BlackBerry have not been recovered.

Taylor gave no evidence in his trial and no defence witnesses were called.

He claimed to have bought Mr van Straubenzee's phone from a friend.

The victim is also a close friend of Prince William.