Pictured: Algerian thief who threatened to behead Aled Jones

Telegraph

2 days ago

A thief who threatened to behead Aled Jones with a machete went on to steal a Bridgerton actresses's phone after being released early from youth detention.
Zacariah Boulares, an Algerian national who has 12 previous convictions relating to 28 offences, has now been pictured for the first time after turning 18.
Aged just 16, he approached Jones, a BBC Songs of Praise presenter, who was walking through Chiswick in west London with his son, and threatened to cut his arm off with a machete unless he handed over his £17,000 Rolex.
Wimbledon youth court was told he later threatened to behead the 54-year-old if he continued following him after the mugging on July 7 2023.
He had also previously stolen a Rolex worth £20,000 from a 78-year-old man at Paddington station in west London.
After stealing Jones's watch, Boulares appeared late to court hearings on several occasions before eventually pleading guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon and was detained in youth custody.
Two years later, having served 14 months of his 24-month detention and training order, he snatched the phone of Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour from a coffee shop table in Kensington, west London, in February.
Chenneour played Miss Clara Livingston in the third season of the Netflix period drama.
Boulares attacked the actress when she confronted him, leaving her with concussion and he also kicked and punched another customer who tried to stop him from escaping from Joe & The Juice.
Boulares admitted stealing her phone and assaulting another customer when he appeared at Westminster magistrates' court last week via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
In a separate charge, he pleaded guilty to another theft after he stole a black leather bag from a customer at a pizza restaurant.
He has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on June 17.