This is the moment a ‘Rolex ripper’ snatches a watch worth £18,000 belonging to company boss from outside a French restaurant in Mayfair.
Ali Sharif, 33, and accomplice Mohamed Benioua, 30, targeted wealthy Dimitrios Triadis outside Mister Nice in Mayfair in October 2023.
Sharif, a father of one, who was living in the Holiday Inn Express in Oxford, was arrested and released on bail.
But four days later he grabbed an iPhone as his victim Kentaro Ikegami waited for a nightbus outside Selfridges on Oxford Street.
Mr Ikegami ran after Sharif who tried to hit him with an umbrella but eventually handed the phone back.
Sharif was released on bail again, but a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to attend his court hearing. He was eventually re-arrested in June 2025.
Carol Summers, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant and Mr Benioua were to commit crime during the busy night time economy.
‘They cross the street and initially approached a group of well-dressed people, seemingly asking for a light. They are completely ignored by that group.’
Pictured: Ali Sharif being arrested by police after stealing a Rolex worth £18,000 in Mayfair
The pair targeted wealthy Dimitrios Triadis outside Mister Nice in Mayfair in October 2023
They then approached Mr Triadis.
‘Mr Benioua stops Mr Triadis and asks for a light. Mr Triadis obliged, and Mr Benioua puts a hand around Mr Triadis’ wrist and pulled his watch off…The watch is £18,000.
‘This defendant assisted Mr Benioua by flanking the couple, distracting his female friend and by trying to trip up Mr Triadis so that Mr Benioua could get away with the watch.
‘When Mr Benioua was arrested he was found with the watch around his ankle.’
‘Happily Mr Triadis got his watch back no thanks to this defendant.’
Referring to the second robbery on October 30, Ms Summers said: ‘Mr Ikegami was with a female partner at Selfridges waiting for a bus to go home at 9.30pm at night.’
When Mr Ikegami saw that Sharif had his phone, he tried to stop him, and received scratches to his neck while he struggled with Sharif on the ground.’
‘What we say happened is that while they were on the ground the female friend of Mr Ikegami threw her coffee over both of them. The defendant managed to get up still with Mr Ikegami’s phone in his hand.
‘Mr Ikegami chased him but the defendant picked up an umbrella and snapped it in half and started waving it at Mr Ikegami.
‘Mr Ikegami used his umbrella to fend the defendant off and chased the defendant until, it seems, the defendant had given up and given the phone back to Mr Ikegami.’
Jailing him for three years, Judge Martin Griffith said: ‘You came from Palestine nearly two decades ago, but your immigration status is such that you don’t appear to have been able to get work other than on the black market.
‘As and when you needed it I’m afraid you turned to theft to give you the money that you needed to live.
‘I have seen thefts of phones and watches time and time again in this capital city.
‘Even officials in the USA are referring to things going on the streets, saying that this is an unsafe city.
‘I don’t think you are remorseful. There appears to have been some planning by you. You pushed onto the bus queue not to get the bus but because you spotted someone who had something you wanted to take.’
The court heard Sharif has a partner and a child who live in Manchester.
Sharif, of Oxford, admitted robbery. He was jailed for three years and four months.
Benioua, of Gravesend, Kent, earlier admitted robbery and was jailed for two years.
