A 'prolific' Algerian thief who followed a wealthy tourist through Mayfair before attacking him in an attempt to steal a £37,000 watch has been found guilty of robbery. Mohamed Sellaoui, now 19, targeted Jiangfeng Ni on Stratton Street shortly after he had left Langan’s Brasserie with a friend on February 26, 2024.
CCTV footage shows Sellaoui, then 17, trailing the couple as they walked towards Green Park station. Wearing a beige coat and black beanie, he was joined by an accomplice who had been waiting nearby before the pair launched an attack, attempting to rip a Patek Philippe timepiece from Mr Ni’s wrist.
Mr Ni, a chemistry professor at Soochow University in China, was visiting London on a leisure trip. He told Southwark Crown Court, with the aid of a Chinese interpreter, that he was 'pushed into a corner' as one of the thieves struggled to rip the watch from his left wrist. Once the pair had torn away his timepiece, they both started running, but one of the thieves fell over with the 'watch still in his hand'.
Mr Ni added: '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 [intimidating] noises. He was trying to attack me and allow time for his companion to run away.' Sellaoui’s accomplice, seen in the CCTV footage, has not yet been found.
Sellaoui, aided by an Arabic interpreter, pleaded not guilty to robbery but was convicted by a jury after a three-day trial. Judge Gregory Perrins told the teenager: 'You should have absolutely no illusion that you will be sentenced, and then you will be deported.' Sellaoui has been remanded into custody ahead of sentencing.
Detective Constable Kira Halson, who led the Met’s investigation, said: 'Tackling violent crime like this is a key priority for the Met. CCTV enquiries quickly identified Sellaoui as a suspect, with a local officer recognising him while on patrol and making the arrest. Despite his young age, Sellaoui is a prolific offender and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to secure justice for the victim in this case.'
