This is the moment a prolific Algerian thief brazenly stole a City worker's backpack in a crowded pub a year after he snatched a £37,000 Patek Philippe watch from the wrist of an unsuspecting London tourist. 'Professional thief' Mohamed Sellaoui, 19, was sentenced to 21 months behind bars after he wrenched the luxury watch from Jiangfeng Ni's wrist as he walked out of Langan's Brasserie on February 26, 2024. At the time of the incident, for which he has since been found guilty of robbery and will be deported after his jail term comes to an end, he was on bail for stealing a backpack containing valuables worth £2,000 from a diner at the age of 16.
Yesterday, he appeared at Southwark Crown Court once again for a separate offence, where he stole a backpack containing £1,500 worth of goods from a pub in New Bridge Street on March 11, 2025 - a year after snatching the Patek Philippe watch. CCTV footage from the Albion Pub in the City of London shows the shameless career criminal standing among crowds of punters at around 9.20pm before discreetly swiping the bag. Sellaoui can be seen standing near customers for a short period before quickly making his bid to snatch the bag before swiftly making his way to the exit.
Only 40 minutes later, he was spotted on CCTV again, entering Fonthill Market in Finsbury, where he attempted to buy a banana and drink using one of the stolen bank cards. The transaction was declined as the card had been cancelled. In the early hours of April 26, he was stopped and searched by police officers and was found to be in possession of a small amount of cocaine. Sellaoui was then arrested after checks revealed he was wanted for theft.
The prolific Algerian thief was told at his second sentencing in just a week, yesterday, that he would serve no extra time for stealing the City worker's backpack. Judge Gregory Perkins said Sellaoui instead would serve each of his terms concurrently. Judge Perrins described the Algerian teenager as a 'professional thief', and told him: 'You were with another person who was helping you steal, and when you spotted a customer had put their bag on the floor, you stole it. You took a number of cards and attempted to use them to buy things for yourself.'
Sellaoui was handed three months for theft, with one month each for the false representation counts. There was no separate penalty given for possession of cocaine, with each term to run concurrently. Last week he was sentenced to 21 months behind bars after being found guilty of robbery after ripping Mr Ni's watch off his wrist in February 2024, in Mayfair.
During the three-day trial for the separate offence, Mr Ni told the court he was 'very nervous' when anyone was near him following the incident. In a victim impact statement, he explained he had purchased the item years ago, as the prosecution said it had 'changed his feelings towards London'. 'He says that it has changed his feelings towards London. He says that now when someone comes close to me, I feel very nervous,' Lynn Fanshawe, prosecuting, said. Mr Ni, a chemistry professor at Soochow University, told jurors during a previous trial at the same court that the two men 'kept pushing' him into a corner. Aided by a Chinese interpreter, he explained he was trying to use his right hand to resist the pair.
Lynn Fanshawe, prosecuting, told the court Mr Ni said the watch was 'very sentimental' and the incident had 'changed his feelings towards London'. 'The male on my left started trying to remove my watch from my left wrist. Both were pushing me into the corner and not letting me go away,' he said. 'Both of them turned around and started running towards Green Park station, opposite to where I was going.' Mr Ni said one of the thieves tripped over, adding: 'The person with my watch fell over... the watch was still in his hand. 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 "woo woo" noises.' The professor added: 'He was trying to attack me and allow time for his companion to run away.' When asked how he felt, Mr Ni said: 'My mind went blank. In my head, I had to ask myself: "What happened?"'
Sellaoui, aided by an Arabic interpreter, denied the charge of robbery but was found guilty by a jury following a three-day trial. Following his trial earlier this year, Judge Perrins had warned the teenager that he would be deported once he was released from jail.
