Watch thief who targeted a wealthy tourist for his £37,000 timepiece as he left a high-end restaurant will be deported
Watch thief who targeted a wealthy tourist for his £37,000 timepiece as he left a high-end restaurant will be deported
An Algerian individual who stole a £37,000 watch from a affluent visitor’s wrist during his departure from a luxury eatery faces deportation following incarceration.
Mohamed Sellaoui, 19, confronted chemistry professor Jiangfeng Ni at Langan’s Brasserie in Mayfair on February 26, 2024. Ni, affiliated with Soochow University in China, recounted the incident to jurors at Southwark Crown Court, assisted by a Chinese interpreter.
According to Ni, two men approached him from behind as he exited Stratton Street’s establishment. He described being ‘cornered’ and one of the thieves attempting to remove his watch from the left wrist. After the pair fled toward Green Park station, Ni noted that ‘the person with my watch fell over… the watch was still in his hand.’
‘I went to approach them but when I was bending down the person on my right swung a punch at me. He was waving his fist and making “woo woo” noises,’ Ni stated.
Prosecutor Sue Obeney questioned Ni about his emotional state during the assault. The professor replied, ‘My mind went blank. In my head I had to ask myself: “What happened?”‘
Defense counsel Joshua Clements contested Ni’s testimony, asserting that the professor ‘got the two suspects mixed up’ and could not be certain of their identities. He pointed out that Ni had ‘mistakenly added extra details’ not present in his initial police report, suggesting the identification process took nearly an hour and involved 15 image reviews.
‘After all of that, you could not have been sure who the suspect was,’ Clements argued.
Ni defended his account, stating he has ‘very good eyesight’ and took his time at the identity parade to ‘make sure’ of the details. He emphasized that the individual who pushed him was ‘quite obvious’ and remembered clearly.
Sellaoui, supported by an Arabic interpreter, initially denied the robbery charges but was found guilty by the jury after a three-day trial. Judge Gregory Perrins informed the teenager that a pre-sentence report would be ordered, stating, ‘You should have absolutely no illusion that you will be sentenced, and then you will be deported.’
Despite Sellaoui’s youth at the time of the offense, the defense requested a suspended sentence. However, the judge noted, ‘How can I give a suspended sentence if he is here illegally?’ and remanded him in custody for sentencing on April 9.
Detective Constable Kira Halson, leading the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, highlighted the significance of the case. ‘Tackling violent crime like this is a key priority for the Met,’ she said. ‘CCTV enquiries quickly identified Sellaoui as a suspect, with a local officer recognizing him while on patrol and making the arrest. Despite his young age, Sellaoui is a prolific offender, and we’re pleased to have secured justice for the victim.’
