Yahoo News Thief caught after snatching designer watch off man's wrist 'stole to fund new life in Scotland'
A thief has been jailed after snatching a designer watch off a man’s wrist.
Sami Rakene stole a Patek Philippe watch from Edward Barnett in the area of Kilburn High Road in North West London at around 6pm on October 26.
Its exact value is unknown, but watches from the luxury brand can cost between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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The 28-year-old defendant, of Burnt Oak, Edgware, North London, was also sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday over stealing a white suitcase and a backpack belonging to two different people at Paddington station on April 7 and May 1 respectively.
District judge Nina Tempia jailed him for 38 weeks and, making reference to the watch theft, told Rakene: “You are lucky not to be charged with robbery.”
Prosecutor Mewesh Shah told the court police officers were in an unmarked car at the junction of Shoot Up Hill and Kilburn High Road when they saw what they initially thought was a phone snatch on October 26.
They saw Rakene in a red baseball cap running along Kilburn High Road and managed to follow and detain him, finding the watch in his trousers, Ms Shah said.
“The victim states that a man came from behind and snatched my watch from my wrist,” Ms Shah told the court.
Of all the thefts, the prosecutor said: “The Crown would say that these are organised crime gang offences.
“They are prevalent at the moment in London where there is targeting of people’s belongings.”
In mitigation, the court heard Rakene experienced a “traumatic” assault in February last year which led him to start committing crimes.
It was said he went to Paddington station on May 1 to steal goods in a bid to fund his travel to Scotland to start a new life.
The court heard he regrets his actions.
Judge Tempia said: “The offence at Paddington station on April 7, it’s a prevalent offence in the City of Westminster and at train stations – when people are on trains and suddenly they discover that the suitcase they put on the rack is gone.
“In this case the woman lost her passport and other belongings and if you purport to have the empathy that you do now... with victims then you would know how that felt but that didn’t stop you committing an offence of theft from person at Paddington station on May 1 when you went there purposefully to steal so you could go to Scotland.
“And thereafter you committed the last offence which you are lucky not to be charged with robbery.”
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