Teenage Serial Thief Admits Machete Robbery After Targeting Celebrities
A serial teenage thief, who previously threatened to decapitate TV presenter Aled Jones and left a Bridgerton actress traumatised, has pleaded guilty to another attempted robbery while armed with a machete. Algerian-born Zacariah Boulares, now aged 19, admitted the violent offence at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
Broad Daylight Attack in Bayswater
The latest incident occurred in broad daylight on August 19, 2023, in Bayswater, west London. Boulares, who was 16 at the time, attempted to steal a Rolex watch from Neil Tallantire while brandishing a machete. The attack took place outside a Waitrose supermarket on Porchester Road, just six weeks after Boulares had robbed Songs of Praise star Aled Jones.
Previous Celebrity Targets
Boulares' criminal history includes particularly disturbing attacks on public figures. In July 2023, he pointed a machete at Welsh baritone Aled Jones' face on Chiswick High Road, stealing his £17,000 Daytona Rolex watch while threatening to cut off his head. The teenager told Jones to "give me your Rolex or I will cut your arm off" before later warning "walk the other way or I will cut your head off" when he noticed the presenter following him.
In February 2025, Boulares was caught red-handed trying to steal Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour's iPhone 14 at a Joe and the Juice branch on Kensington High Street. CCTV footage captured the moment Chenneour, who played Clara Livingston in the Netflix period drama, bravely grabbed Boulares' shoulder and tackled him to the ground. Her then-boyfriend, scriptwriter Carlo Kureishi, helped pin the teenager down after being assaulted and warned he would be stabbed.
Judicial Criticism and Delays
Judge Mark Weekes expressed serious concern about the two-and-a-half-year delay in bringing the August 2023 case to court, despite clear CCTV evidence of the daylight attack. "The CPS and the police will need to provide a full explanation for how it has taken so long," Judge Weekes stated, ordering authorities to provide an explanation by April 9. He noted that victim Neil Tallantire "must be bewildered about what's taken quite so long to bring this case to court."
Extensive Criminal Record
The court heard that Boulares has accumulated 12 convictions for 28 offences, including violence, threatening behaviour, weapon possession and theft. His crimes follow a disturbing pattern of targeting wealthy areas for what he considered "rich pickings." In July 2025, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court for multiple offences, including the attempt to steal Ms Chenneour's phone and stealing from a blind woman at Five Guys in Kensington.
Psychological Assessments Ordered
Judge Weekes has ordered psychiatric reports as Boulares claims to suffer from autism and possibly ADHD. The judge will consider a finding of dangerousness against Boulares when he is sentenced on June 19. "I am going to remand you in custody as a consequence of your convictions on these matters," Judge Weekes told Boulares. "There are going to be reports completed on you. It is very important that you comply with those assessments and are honest with the authors of those reports."
Impact on Victims
The trauma inflicted by Boulares' crimes has had lasting effects on his victims. Genevieve Chenneour revealed that dealing with the incident led her to consider leaving London entirely. Judge Martin Edmunds KC, who sentenced Boulares in 2025, noted that individuals had been "left feeling they don't want to come to London or they should leave London" due to his actions.
Boulares will remain in custody until his sentencing in June, with Judge Weekes warning him: "You must expect that on your return to court a substantial custodial sentence awaits." The prosecution indicated that sentencing guidelines suggest a starting point of four years with a range of three to six years for the latest offences.
