An Algerian man who ambushed an elderly man and snatched a £30,000 watch from his wrist on a central London street has been jailed.
Zakaria Senouci, 27, was “handsomely rewarded” for the street robbery in April last year, which has left the 73-year-old victim so anxious that he now plans to move abroad, Southwark Crown Court heard.
CCTV showed Senouci “loitering” with another hooded accomplice on the corner of a street near Hyde Park before sprinting towards Sunil Chopra, grabbing his left arm and ripping the Patek Philippe watch from his wrist.
Mr Chopra could be seen in the footage spinning around after his arm was pulled, and he then saw Senouci fleeing down the street with the watch.
Senouci, an Algerian national who changed his plea to guilty to robbery on the first day of his trial last month, was on Thursday sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
London's reputation has been tarnished by 'Rolex ripper' robberies in which people wearing expensive watches are targeted, often involving sophisticated 'spotter' gangs. People carrying mobile phones have also become targets by robbers on e-bikes.
Last month, two men who robbed a man of his Patek Philippe watch while he was out with his pregnant wife in an exclusive area of London have been jailed.
Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Metropolitan Police have begun a campaign to reassure residents and visitors that they are safe, pointing to the UK capital's serious crime rates, which are better than those in cities such as Paris.
As an asylum seeker, Senouci's case will be referred to the Secretary of State for a decision on deportation at the end of his sentence, the court heard.
The watch, which Mr Chopra had hoped to pass on to his son, was not insured and has not been seen again.
District Judge Mark Weekes told Senouci: “CCTV and cell site evidence show that you and another individual had travelled to the area and were loitering for some time. The obvious inference is that you were seeking a suitable target for your activities that night.
“You see Mr Chopra approach. You allowed him to pass. You yanked from him a very valuable watch.
“It was taken with sufficient violence to cause a scratch to the arm and a tear to his shirt sleeve.”
The judge said of the watch: “It was of profound sentimental importance to Mr Chopra, and his family.
“The intention was that it was to be passed on to his son as a family heirloom.”
The judge described it as “an unpleasant street robbery” on an elderly victim as he walked home in broad daylight.
He said: “He was entitled to feel safe in his own neighbourhood – he no longer does.”
A year after the robbery, the victim is “hyper vigilant” and is making plans to leave the country, the court heard.
Mr Chopra no longer feels safe, has anxiety, the robbery has altered his behaviour so he tries to avoid risk, and he has nightmares.
The judge added: “Tragically as a consequence of the offence, he no longer feels safe in this wonderful country and thinks he may have to leave the UK.”
Senouci had willingly taken part in the theft although others may have been involved in the planning of it, the court heard.
Senouci claimed he was encouraged to steal by a person he had met and was promised 1,000 euros for the robbery but was paid 700 euros.
The judge told him “you were handsomely rewarded” even though the amount was not as expected, “for an hour's work preying on an elderly man”.
Senouci’s “involvement was voluntary” in an “opportunistic plan” to steal, the judge said.
Earlier Senouci’s defence counsel Elega Simpson said he recalled feeling “scared at the time” of the robbery, adding that it was the high value watch and not Mr Chopra specifically which had been targeted.
She stated: “Regrettably the watch was handed to another individual. He has no idea what happened to it.”
She said: “He regrets his actions. He did not intend to cause harm to Mr Chopra.”
Senouci is a mechanic and applied for asylum after arriving in the UK at the age of 22.
He hopes to turn his life around and help his family when he is released, the court heard.
