Watch thief who targeted a wealthy tourist for his £37,000 timepiece as he left a high-end restaurant will be deported
Algerian Thief Convicted in £37,000 Watch Robbery, Faces Deportation
A 19-year-old Algerian suspect, Mohamed Sellaoui, was found guilty of robbing a Chinese professor and will be deported after completing his sentence. The theft occurred in Mayfair during a high-profile incident at a luxury restaurant, where the victim, Jiangfeng Ni, lost a valuable timepiece worth £37,000.
According to the prosecution, Ni, a chemistry professor at Soochow University, was ambushed by two men as he exited Langan’s Brasserie on Stratton Street. He claimed the assailants cornered him, with one attempting to steal his watch from his left wrist. The pair then sprinted toward Green Park station, where the professor’s account of the event became pivotal in the case.
Testimony and Doubts
Ni described the attack to jurors, aided by a Chinese interpreter, emphasizing the clarity of his memory. “I wanted to ensure accuracy,” he stated, explaining his deliberate pace during the identification parade. However, defense attorney Joshua Clements contested the professor’s testimony, arguing that his account included details not present in the original police report.
“My mind went blank. In my head, I had to ask myself: ‘What happened?'”
The defense highlighted that Ni had scrutinized images 15 times during the identification process, claiming this “nearly an hour” of deliberation left him uncertain about the suspects’ identities. Despite this, the professor maintained his confidence, insisting the individual who pushed him was unmistakable.
During the trial, Sellaoui pleaded not guilty to the robbery charge. However, after a three-day hearing at Southwark Crown Court, the jury convicted him. Judge Gregory Perrins acknowledged Sellaoui’s youth but warned that deportation would follow his sentence.
“How can I give a suspended sentence if he is here illegally?”
While the defense sought a lenient outcome, citing Sellaoui’s age as 17 at the time of the crime, the judge emphasized the severity of the offense. The teenager was remanded in custody for sentencing on April 9. Detective Constable Kira Halson praised the case, stating that the Met Police’s proactive teams had successfully identified Sellaoui through CCTV footage and a patrol officer’s recognition.