Two Algerian migrants who targeted wealthy tourists in London before attempting to steal a £15,000 Hublot watch from a Kuwaiti national outside a luxury hotel have been jailed.
The Incident
Ania Bala, 25, and Salah Mabrouk, 23, were convicted of attempted robbery after a week-long trial at Southwark Crown Court. The pair approached Mushal Alenezi outside the Lanesborough Hotel in Knightsbridge on October 8 last year, trying to snatch his high-value timepiece.
Bala had entered the UK on a tourist visa and overstayed, while Mabrouk is believed to have arrived illegally via small boat and subsequently sought asylum. The defendants were overheard conversing in Arabic about potential targets before focusing on Mr Alenezi.
Court Proceedings
During sentencing, Judge Christopher Hehir stated: "You were on the hunt for an affluent victim from whom you could steal a high value wrist watch. You were in the Knightsbridge area to carry out what is colloquially referred to as a Rolex robbery." He noted that Mr Alenezi was wearing a Hublot watch valued between £12,000 and £15,000.
The judge added: "He didn't succeed in getting away from you, but he had the time to take his valuable watch off and put it in his trouser pocket. Bala and Mabrouk followed Mr Alenezi to the Lanesborough Hotel, where they tried to take his watch from him again. Thankfully you were interrupted by plain clothes police officers driving in an unmarked car through Hyde Park Corner."
Victim Impact
Referring to Mr Alenezi's victim impact statement, the judge described it as "distressing reading." He said: "His ordeal has left him no longer feeling safe. He is reluctant to leave his home to go out, and his mental health has suffered. What has made matters worse for Mr Alenezi is that eight months before this offence he was the victim of a theft or robbery where the perpetrator succeeded in stealing his watch."
Both Bala and Mabrouk were each sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Witness Testimony
Witness Mohamed Muradi testified that he saw the two men acting suspiciously, checking people's wrists. "I was driving when I saw two males acting suspiciously, looking at people, going behind people in a very suspicious way, checking hands, checking for watches, following people. They caught my attention. I straight away knew they were looking to rob something like a watch from people."
He heard them discussing watches in Arabic, saying "this is valuable, this is not valuable." They then focused on Mr Alenezi, attempting to physically take the watch. Mr Alenezi, assisted by an Arabic interpreter, said: "They came very close to me. I took the watch and put it in my pocket. One of them grabbed my wrist and the second one covered him. He grabbed my wrist and grabbed my hand. He was pulling me towards him. The second one was behind me. The second one tried to put his hand in my pocket to try and take my watch. Suddenly three people came and arrested the two people. I found out they were police officers. I thought they would kill me. I was frightened."
