This is the moment an Algerian asylum seeker was caught on camera stealing a £30,000 watch from a 73-year-old man's wrist, as he was jailed for four years.
Footage released by the Met Police
Zakaria Snouci, 27, was seen conferring with an accomplice on a street near Hyde Park before jogging up behind his elderly victim, snatching his Patek Philippe watch and fleeing the scene. The victim, Sunil Chopra, appeared momentarily stunned before gesturing to a passing motorist that he had just been robbed.
The incident, which occurred on April 19, is said to have left Mr Chopra so anxious that he now plans to move abroad, Southwark Crown Court heard.
Snouci's guilty plea and sentencing
Snouci, an Algerian national, changed his plea to guilty on the first day of his trial last month and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on Thursday. As an asylum seeker, his case will be referred to the Secretary of State for a decision on deportation at the end of his sentence, the court heard.
The watch, which Mr Chopra had hoped to pass on to his son, was not insured and has not been seen again.
Judge's remarks
His Honour Judge Mark Weekes told Snouci: 'CCTV and cell site evidence show that you and another individual had travelled to the area and were loitering for some time, the obvious inference is that you were seeking a suitable target for your activities that night.'
'You see Mr Chopra approach. You allowed him to pass. You yanked from him a very valuable watch. It was taken with sufficient violence to cause a scratch to the arm and a tear to his shirt sleeve.'
Judge Weekes described Mr Chopra's watch as of 'profound sentimental importance,' which Mr Chopra intended to be 'passed on to his son as a family heirloom'. He said the incident was 'an unpleasant street robbery' on an elderly victim as he walked home in broad daylight. He added: 'He was entitled to feel safe in his own neighbourhood – he no longer does.'
Now, one year after the robbery, the court heard Mr Chopra is 'hyper vigilant' and is making plans to leave the country. He no longer feels safe, has anxiety and nightmares, with the robbery altering his behaviour so he tries to avoid risk. Judge Weekes added: 'Tragically as a consequence of the offence, he no longer feels safe in this wonderful country and thinks he may have to leave the UK.'
Defence submissions
The court heard Snouci had willingly taken part in the theft although others may have been involved in the planning of it. Elega Simpson, for Snouci, said he was 'directed' to behave this way by another individual, saying it was not Mr Chopra that was the target, but his watch. She said: 'The individual who directed him promised to pay him 1,000 Euros, but only paid 700 Euros. He was not involved in the planning of the offence and he was not aware of the value of the watch. Regrettably the watch was handed to another individual and he has no idea what happened to it.'
The court heard Snouci had also been involved in pickpocketing. Ms Simpson said: 'When he was involved in pickpocketing there was no real contact between him and the other person. He feels bad and regrets his actions. He has not lived an easy life. At the age of twelve he was in a car crash with his father. He spent two months in hospital and watched his father die next to him in the car.'
She added that Snouci had worked as a mechanic in Algeria and that he had come to Britain in search of work. However, she said his status in the UK 'remains uncertain.' She said: 'On his arrival in London he had nowhere to stay and was not entitled to benefits. He spent six months homeless. He hopes to use his skills as a mechanic to work on cars and contribute meaningfully to society, and to send money back to his family in Algeria. He came to the UK to better himself. If he had been able to do so legitimately he would have earned and done what he could to lead a legal lifestyle.'
Snouci spoke at earlier hearings only to admit the robbery, aided by an Arabic interpreter. He applied for asylum after arriving in the UK aged 22 and is a mechanic by trade. The court heard he hopes to turn his life around and help his family when he is released.
