TikTok prankster Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, known online as Mizzy, has been convicted of stealing a woman's mobile phone while riding an e-bike in north London. The 19-year-old social media personality was found guilty of theft at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that on 15 June 2022, O'Garro was riding a green Lime e-bike when he snatched an iPhone 13 Pro Max, worth around £1,000, from a woman's hand as she walked along Highbury New Park in Islington. The victim, who had been texting on the device, described feeling 'stressed, anxious and quite scared' after the 10-second encounter.
Prosecutor Edward Kalber said O'Garro, then 17, was approached by police for unrelated reasons but fled, throwing the phone over a fence into bushes. An officer forced him off the bike, but he escaped on foot before being stopped by three officers in an unmarked car. PC David Clifford testified that O'Garro exhibited 'erratic behaviour' and was found hiding behind a tree.
In his defence, O'Garro claimed a friend had handed him the phone, and that he threw it away and ran because he 'felt scared of the police' due to negative stereotypes. He also cited legal advice to give a no-comment interview. However, presiding magistrate Fros Kyriacou rejected his account as not 'credible', noting she accepted the victim's evidence.
O'Garro was bailed to appear for sentencing at the same court on 13 June. The case has drawn attention due to his online persona as a prankster, but the court focused on the facts of the theft.
