BREAKING NEWS Prolific teenage thief, 18, who snatched Bridgerton star's phone after mugging Aled Jones for his Rolex during 'ruthless' thieving spree is jailed for just 22 months

Daily Mail​

01-07-2025

A prolific teenage criminal who robbed a Bridgerton star at a Joe & the Juice during a 'ruthless' spree of thefts across London has today been jailed for just 22 months.
Zacariah Boulares, 18, snuck up behind actress Genevieve Chenneour, 27, and grabbed her iPhone 14 Pro in the upmarket coffee shop on Kensington High Street, west London, while she was walking her black maltipoo on February 8.
Boulares was scolded by the judge as put his middle finger up at members of the public gallery before he was taken down to the police cells by security guards at Isleworth Crown Court today.
MailOnline previously revealed CCTV of the incredible moment Ms Chenneour bravely fought back against the thief and dragged him to the floor with the help of her boyfriend at the time, Carlo Kureishi, 30, the son of the writer Hanif Kureishi.
Ms Chenneour, who before acting was on Team GB 's synchronised swimming team and later became a trained boxer, revealed how she thought she was going to die after the thug threatened to stab her while the tussle escalated on the floor.
Around 18 months earlier, Boulares had targeted another celebrity victim when he threatened to behead Aled Jones with a 20in machete as he stole his £17,000 Rolex in Chiswick, west London.
The thief, then 16, was locked up for his attack on the Welsh singer in October 2023 but only served 14 months of his 24-month sentence before being released back onto the streets.
Boulares, who was named and pictured after turning 18 in February, has continued to wreak havoc on Londoners, including robbing rising star Ms Chenneour, who plays rumour-monger Clara Livingston in hit Netflix period drama Bridgerton.
Isleworth Crown Court heard today how detectives were able to catch Boulares after arresting him for stealing a backpack from a blind couple who were dining at a Five Guys in Kensington with their 10-year-old son on February 18.
Genievieve Chennour (pictured) previously told how she was left 'concussed and traumatised' after being robbed at the popular lunch haunt by Algerian national, Zacariah Boulares
MailOnline previously obtained footage of Boulares, then 16, appearing to clutch a machete after he ran away from the spot Aled Jones was mugged of a £17k Rolex
Police were then able to identify him as the perpetrator for the theft of Ms Chenneour on February 8 and stealing a handbag at a Pizza Pilgrims restaurant in London's West End on January 30.
Stern-faced Boulares sat with his arms crossed as he appeared in the dock today with a long black ponytail and grey prison tracksuit on, where he was jailed for the three thefts across London and the common assault of Mr Kureishi.
The thug's extensive criminal history - 12 previous convictions relating to 28 offences - was laid bare after he pleaded guilty on May 29 to stealing Ms Chenneour's phone and assaulting Mr Kureishi.
Sentencing him, Judge Martin Edmunds KC, the Recorder of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said: 'It is clear you are completely willing to use violence when challenged.
'It's a matter of the deepest regret that individuals targeted on these occasions are left feeling that they don't want to come to London or they should leave London.'
The judge added: 'Your pattern of offending both in these offences and the past demonstrate that only custody is appropriate... You seem to be plagued by an attitude if people can afford nice things, then you can take them.
'I have no doubt he has been targeting areas where he hopes there are rich pickings.'
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Ms Chenneour said: 'I have previously experienced an assault that has left me scared to go out and leave the house, this ended in a severe bout of depression which further prevented me from leaving my home, and the incident today feels like a big set back in my journey to improve my mental health.
'I am feeling extremely shaken and cannot stop replaying the incident in my own head and am extremely worried that I might see both of the suspects again and as a result be put in the same danger that I felt I was in during the incident.
The Yorkshire-born thespian quickly noticed her phone was missing, and bravely confronted Boulares who has a history of violent crime
She courageously stood up to the thief, hitting him with the phone as he tussled with a man on the floor during the ordeal
After a tussle, the thief then pointed his finger and said something to Ms Chenneour's friend
'I felt like I have emotionally shut down and am anxious that this might happen again.'
Mr Kureishi, in his own victim impact statement, added: 'This incident has impacted me. After the incident I truly feel worried and scared to carry my belongings. I feel like being in a café is going to make me feel paranoid and unsafe.'
Boulares also admitted stealing a black leather handbag from a diner at a Pizza Pilgrims restaurant on Kingly Street, in London's West End, on 30 January this year.
Prosecutor Alex Mullen told the court how at around 7.35pm that day, victim Akira Morgan realised her bag was missing.
She then began to receive messages from her bank, asking her whether she was trying to withdraw money from a nearby Tesco, while Boulares had also spent money on her cars in nearby shops, the court heard.
Her handbag contained her driving licence, other cars, sunglasses, gloves, a phone charger, makeup and £20 in cash.
The court was shown CCTV of Boulares pinching the bag and handing it to an unknown accomplice before the duo made off together.
Ms Morgan said she felt 'violated because the suspect had access to all parts of my life'. The victim said she does not feel safe to go back to London and 'didn't want to leave my house for a while just in case'.
In the third case, which was revealed for the first time today, Boulares admitted stealing a rucksack from a blind couple at a Five Guys burger restaurant in Kensington, where they were eating with their 10-year-old son.
The court heard how Netta O'Carroll had hung her bag on the back of her chair but when she went to pull out a water bottle, she noticed it was missing.
Mr Mullen explained: 'She asked her fully sighted son to look under the table for the bag but it was gone.'
CCTV clips showed in court today showed Boulares walking into the Five Guys, taking a seat on the table next to Ms O'Caroll and her family before pouncing. He lurked behind the young boy before snatching the bag from Ms O'Carroll's chair.
The court heard how Boulares eventually pleaded guilty but maintains that he was not aware the couple were blind.
The bag contained debit and credit cards, a freedom pass, a blue disabled badge, around £40 in cash, two gift cards and printed photographs of her son which were of 'significant sentimental value'.
The court heard how Ms O'Carroll later received a call from police who informed her they had retrieved her bag after officers recognised Boulares walking along Harrington Road, near the Five Guys, and chased him.
When he noticed them, Boulares fled and discarded the bag, which still had all the items inside, in a hedge.
When police officers eventually caught him, he attempted to escape by jumping out a first floor window.
In a victim impact statement, Ms O'Carroll said she was left 'extremely shocked and anxious', adding: 'I could not understand why somebody would steal a bag from two blind people. I felt it was completely unfair that the responsibility was left for my son, who is young, to keep an eye of my rucksack.'
Mr Mullen told the court how Boulares 'smirked' when discussing the impact on Ms O'Carroll and was identified by Forensic Child and Adult Mental Health Services as being 'very dangerous, skilled at using violence to create confusion, terror and control and intelligent and ruthless'.
His probation officers described him as experience 'feelings of jealousy seeing others with expensive or designer items that he cannot attain so he seeks to take it by force', adding: 'He demonstrated strong pro-criminal attitudes and glarmoises
It was the Five Guys theft that enabled police to catch Boulares for the Pizza Pilgrims theft and the robbery of Ms Chenneour at Joe & the Juice.
In exclusive footage obtained by MailOnline last month the actress was seen courageously fighting back against the hooded thief who targeted her while she was out walking her dog Ralph with her then boyfriend Mr Kureishi.
In the CCTV, Boulares can be seen prowling around the back of the café, waiting for Mr Kureishi to leave her alone at the table while he ordered.
Boulares, wearing all black with a navy cap, then snuck up behind the actress and swiped her phone while she had her back turned.
But in a moment of complete instinct, she quickly leapt into action and lunged at the thief while Mr Kureishi quickly intervened and helped drag him to the floor.
The fearless Yorkshire-born actress then put her arm out to block Boulares from leaving and dislodged the phone from his hand.
Retrieving the iPhone from off the floor, she then used the device to strike Boulares multiple times while he was left helpless on the floor.
The commotion continued as shocked onlookers began to form a crowd in the popular café in Kensington.
The tussle could then be seen spilling into the back of the café, where Ms Chenneour, Mr Kureishi and Boulares can only be seen in CCTV in glimpses via a mirror.
In new mobile footage taken by a staff member which was played in court today, Ms Chenneour could be heard screaming at the thug while Mr Kureishi had him in a headlock on the floor while the dog was barking and jumping on him.
After around four minutes of scuffling, the humbled crook then pointed his finger in the face of Ms Chenneour's then boyfriend before walking out of the café without the phone.
In an interview with The Times, Ms Chenneour revealed: 'I got on his back while [Kureishi] was on the floor holding him down. Then he threatened to stab me, and I thought I was going to be killed. I was terrified.'
Ms Chenneour, who was struck on the head and suffered with concussion, has fled west London since the attack after seven years in the capital.
Boulares' heartbroken mother Myriam told MailOnline last month: 'From the day he was born, I knew there was something wrong with Zac, and as he got older, I confirmed it – it got worse and worse.
'I always knew he would end up getting into trouble because of his personality from a very young age.
'I have been to court with him so many times. I knew it was not going to end up well.
'I am not excusing his behaviour for one moment. There are no excuses for what he did.'
It was previously misreported that Boulares was Algerian and that he couldn't be deported back to Algeria because his offences were committed before he turned 18.
But in fact the teen mugger is a British citizen by birth - he was delivered at the prestigious Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, in February 2007.
Boulares went on to rob Ms Chenneour after being released from youth detention for the attack on chorister Mr Jones on July 7 2023.
He threatened Mr Jones with a 20-inch machete, demanding the 'f***king Rolex' on the singer's arm, while threatening to cut his limb off. Boulares could not be named at the time due to his age.
After the terrified baritone gave the menacing youth his watch, Boulares later said he would 'cut [Jones's] head off' if the Songs of Praise star continued to follow him.
The now 18-year-old appeared late to magistrates court late several times before he eventually pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon at Wimbledon Youth Court.
It was also heard the youngster had also stolen a £20,000 gold Rolex from a pensioner. His record was dubbed 'appalling' by Chairman of the bench Rex Da Roach.
At his sentencing today, defence barrister Miss Maddison Fisher told the court: 'Mr Boulares is just 18 years old. He is now 18 but was 17 when he committed all of the offences.'
She told the court how Boulares has suffered 'several traumatic events' including his parents splitting, being stabbed and seeing his friend die from a knife attack.
The court heard he has been 'targeted by older peers'.
Miss Fisher continued: 'Mr Boualres has expressed to me this morning that he would like to apologise to the victims for the offending behaviour.
'He wishes upon his release to seek pro-social and law abiding lifestyle.
'He feels his actions were broadcast to society through social media and feels greatly ashamed and insecure of himself.'
Addressing Boulares today, Judge Edmunds KC condemned the teen for his repeat offending, telling him: 'They feature regular violence, stealing, robbery, knives. You have been punished by a variety of means including youth rehabilitation orders, detention and training orders which do not appear to have had any affect on you.