Two men have been convicted in connection with a violent home invasion in which they were found to have stolen more than $1.5 million in valuable watches from the victim’s safe.

Adrian David Gower and Greyson Nicholas Rane Wesley were charged with the May 2016 break-and-enter, unlawful confinement and robbery of Patrick Li in the victim’s Richmond condo.

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On the day of the incident, Li left work and returned home to his suite on Brighouse Way. He was in his bedroom when two men wearing masks and hoodies broke into his home.

The taller man, who held Li at gunpoint, asked him, “Where is the money, you stole the money.” Li testified that he had no idea what the man was talking about and asked to whom he owed the money.

The taller man said, “Yes, you do. You owe money to the girl.” He put some wire around Li’s neck and wrapped duct tape around the victim’s head five times so that he could not breathe.

The second man, shorter in stature, adjusted the duct tape down so that Li could breathe. The taller man put zap straps around Li’s hands and said, “Don’t move or I’ll kill you. Where’s the money?”

Li was struck once on the head with something hard that he thought might have been the gun, which Li believed was a real firearm.

He told the two men that he had a safe in his closet and gave them the combination.

Inside the safe Li had $10,000, 13 watches that had been purchased for more than $1.5 million and some jewelry. He also had about $5,000 worth of foreign currency.

The taller man emptied the contents of the safe into a black gym bag and demanded more money but was told by Li that there was no more money.

The victim, who was badly shaken, was left lying in the closet as the two men fled. Li waited a short time before removing some of the straps and going downstairs, at which time his brother arrived home and police were called.

In reaching her verdict Tuesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Barbara Young said that the identity of the perpetrators was the key issue at trial.

There was no forensic evidence and, apart from providing some physical descriptions, the victim and an eyewitness were not able to identify who had committed the crime.

But surveillance video was obtained from the condo and several police officers who had had prior dealings with the accused were able to identity the accused.

One officer had seen Wesley entering a Starbucks just four days before the robbery.

Gower provided a statement to the police in which he admitted being at the scene but claimed to have been coerced to take part. He argued that he was not a party to the offence of using an imitation firearm that was also laid against the two men but the judge rejected that claim.

The judge found the two accused guilty on all five counts. The case has been put over until Sept. 26 to fix a date for sentencing.