A thief has been sentenced to jail after being caught by plain-clothed officers attempting to grab a luxury watch from an unsuspecting victim in Mayfair.
Brahim Keddad was spotted by officers acting suspiciously and watching shoppers on Jermyn Street in St James’s near Piccadilly on May 1.
He was followed as he got on a Lime bike before sneaking up to a man from behind and grabbing his wrist in an attempt to snatch his £250,000 Richard Mille watch.
Keddad, 29, was followed by police in an unmarked car and arrested moments later as he attempted to get away with the designer Swiss watch.
Founded in 2001, Richard Mille is known for its limited range of highly accurate timepieces. Its designs have divided opinion however, with American rapper Diddy comparing them to Timex watches, with others having commented on their distinctive faces making them a target for thieves.
He was sentenced today to two years and four months in prison for attempted robbery at Southwark Crown Court.
DS Andy Swindells said: ‘This case highlights the invaluable benefit of plain-clothed officers being on patrol. We were able to spot and arrest Keddad within minutes, returning the valuable watch to its owner and preventing others who live or visit in London from being victims.r
‘Our work is having an impact, with neighbourhood crime – things like theft and robbery, down by 14% in the past year – the equivalent to 35,000 fewer offences reported across London.
‘The Met continues to carry out intelligence-led patrols and targeted operations to identify offenders, disrupt criminal networks and protect the public. As a result, we’re getting more offenders like Keddad off the street.’
Figures show theft from the person is on the decline in London, with 23,000 fewer offences recorded in the last year, a drop of 23 per cent.