A grandfather heroically fought off two 'Rolex rippers' by swinging a takeaway bag at their heads as they tried to steal his £18,000 watch, a court has heard.
Amine Bentaib, 30, targeted Christopher Harris for his Rolex Yacht-Master in Bouverie Place on July 8, 2023 — a year after he was due for deportation. Mr Harris was returning to an Airbnb with food from the Queen of Sheba restaurant when he was attacked.
CCTV footage showed Bentaib peering through restaurant windows before following Mr Harris to his door. As Mr Harris took out his keys, one man grabbed his watch and another joined in, but Mr Harris fought back with his takeaway bag and they fled empty-handed.
Judge Adam Hiddleston jailed Bentaib for 45 months, calling such robberies an 'absolute scourge' in London. The judge noted that between June 2022 and May 2023 there were 1,134 watch robberies in the capital.
Prosecutor Allison Summers KC told the court that Bentaib had been pursued for deportation since September 20, 2022. The judge said Bentaib qualified as a foreign criminal and would be subject to automatic deportation.
