Recently, a verdict was announced in a London luxury watch robbery case that occurred in 2024, and a suspect was found guilty of robbery.
On the evening of February 26, 2024 local time, a Chinese university professor and his friends were dining in a London restaurant. What he didn't know was that a robber was already eyeing the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist outside the door…
Screenshot of video of a gangster following the victim
The robber waited outside the door until the professor finished his meal and left. The professor and his friend walked along Stratton Street towards the Green Park subway station. The robber followed quietly and met an accomplice waiting on the roadside. When they reached a secluded street corner, the two men approached the victim from behind.
The professor later gave evidence at Southwark Crown Court and described the situation to the jury with the help of an interpreter. He said he was "pushed into a corner" and a robber grabbed his left wrist and forcibly ripped off his watch. After succeeding, the two robbers turned around and ran away. One of them fell down after running a few steps, still holding the watch in his hand.
"The person who got my watch fell down…the watch was still in his hand," the professor told jurors through a Chinese interpreter. "I was about to step forward, but when I bent down, the person on the right (the gangster) punched me. He waved his fist and made a threatening sound. He wanted to attack me and give his companions time to escape."
Suspect Selavi
The stolen Patek Philippe watch was worth 37,000 pounds (approximately 340,000 yuan).
The entire incident was captured on surveillance video. After reviewing the footage, the police discovered that the suspect was 17-year-old Algerian illegal immigrant Mohamed Serlawi, who was a habitual criminal well known to the police. Later, a patrol officer recognized him directly on the street and arrested him. Another accomplice has not been arrested and is still at large.
Recently, after a three-day trial, the jury found the suspect Selavi guilty of robbery. Judge Gregory Perrins announced that Selavi would be detained pending sentencing. Selawi's defense lawyer requested a suspended sentence on the grounds that the defendant was under 18 at the time of the incident. The judge did not accept the request and made it clear that deportation proceedings would be initiated after the verdict.
