Rolex thief who threatened to behead Aled Jones with machete seen for first time

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Zacariah Boulares, 18, can be named and pictured for the first time after he was convicted of snatching a phone from Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour - he'd previously targeted Aled Jones
This is the face of the machete criminal who threatened to behead singer Aled Jones during a terrifying Rolex robbery.
Zacariah Boulares, 18, can finally be named and pictured nearly two years on from the attack, after being convicted of a further offence against Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour. He is a serial phone thief and one of the most dangerous young criminals in London. His full offending can be revealed for the first time today.
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Welsh baritone Jones, 54, was attacked in Chiswick, West London, in July 2023 by the feral youth, and threatened with a 20-inch blade. Jones was told: "Give me your f***king Rolex or I will cut your arm off." The terrified Walking in the Air icon, who presents Songs of Praise and a show on Classic FM, handed over his £17,000 Daytona.
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But when the singer followed his robber down the street, the youth taunted him: "Walk the other way or I will cut your head off." The teenager was repeatedly late to his court case at Ealing Magistrates' Court when he appeared in October that year. He had been due to stand trial for robbing Mr Jones at Wimbledon Youth Court, but pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
Chairman of the bench Rex Da Rocha told him his record was "appalling", adding: "Your actions are not acceptable. Pointing that machete at an innocent person is totally unacceptable." Boulares, who could not be named at the time due to his age, previously stole a gold Rolex watch worth £20,000 from a man in his 70s at Paddington station in west London, the court heard. He was handed a 24-month detention and training order.
A DTO can be given to a youth aged between 12 and 17, and should mean they are in custody for the first half of the sentence, before being released to be supervised by the Youth Offending Team. But Boulares was freed just 14 months into the sentence and went on to commit a string of further offences.
Boulares last week pleaded guilty to thieving from rising Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour, who says she was left concussed after fighting off the London phone snatcher while walking her dog. The Netflix actress - also a former Team GB artistic swimmer and model - was confronted while getting a coffee in Chelsea shortly before this year's Screen Actors Guild awards. She said: 'They didn't expect me to stand up for myself - but I did.'
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Miss Chenneour has appeared in five episodes of the Netflix hit's third series as rumourmonger Miss Clara Livingston. The robbery happened when Yorkshire-born Genevieve, 27, had stopped to grab a coffee at a branch of Joe & The Juice while out in West London with a friend on February 2. Boulares admitted assaulting another customer during the incident.
Speaking last month, Miss Chenneour said: "I was left with a concussion just before the Screen Actors Guild Awards and since then, I've felt constantly on edge. Even my dog was traumatised - now, if anyone touches me, he panics and tries to protect me. Getting a coffee shouldn't be something you need your wits about you for.
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"I'm so grateful to the staff at Joe & The Juice - they were incredible during the incident and when I went back to see them after."
Court documents show he also pleaded guilty to snatching a bag from a woman named Netta O'Carroll at a branch of Five Guys in Chelsea on February 18. The bag contained various goods, including cash and gift cards. It happened just three days before his 18th birthday.
Boulares will appear back for sentencing next week at Isleworth crown court. London has been plagued by feral muggers stealing mobile phones, many of them on bikes.
A source said: 'Boulares is one of the worst young criminals in London. He has terrorised the capital for years now. He's finally old enough to be properly identified. He is a disgrace. Hopefully he can finally be properly jailed and dealt with. London's streets are safer with him in prison.'