A judge expressed his anger towards a group of Algerian migrants, accusing them of ‘taking advantage of Britain’s generosity’ after they illegally crossed the Channel and subsequently stole £4,000 worth of electronic devices from workers in the City.
Adam Zawi, allegedly aged 21, was residing in a taxpayer-funded three-star hotel when he and his fellow ‘sneak theft’ gang members stole backpacks containing gadgets from a pub in London’s financial district on July 30.
The gang, which also included illegal migrants Oussama Fadage, 35, and Aouidj Abderaouf, 29, targeted customers at The Walrus and The Carpenter pub and El Vino The Olde Wine Shade bar.
Zawi, awaiting a decision on his asylum application after entering the UK ‘via a boat’ in 2023, had six prior theft convictions. Fadage also had a history, with three convictions, as revealed in Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Zawi and Fadage both denied two theft charges, but following a trial, they were found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison. Abderaouf received a 36-week sentence after confessing to the charges.
The judge sharply remarked, ‘There are no circumstances here that lessen the seriousness. Mr. Zawi can’t expect me to believe he is 21; he is clearly older.’
‘These three defendants are committed criminals. There is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation.’
He added: ‘Even if you are all released from prison after you serve half of your sentences, the Home Office should consider deportation as a likely outcome here.’
CCTV footage shows the brazen gang stealing from unsuspecting workers in broad daylight. Their haul included a £1,300 laptop, a £450 AirPlus 2 reader, and £300 Sony headphones.
The migrant pictured bottom left stealing a rucksack filled with gadgets from a pub in London ‘s financial district. He was living in a three-star hotel at the taxpayer’s expense at the time
Adam Zawi, pictured, an Algerian small boat migrant who stole £4,000 worth of gadgets from City workers, already had six theft convictions
Zawi, wearing a blue Adidas baseball cap and glasses, can be seen walking past a crowd of drinkers at the bar at The Walrus and Carpenter in the CCTV clip.
He strolls past the booth where the rucksack lies unattended before looping back and leaning over a short wall to grab the item.
The migrant then casually walks out of the pub with the bag just as customers start turning away from the bar with their drinks.
District judge Michael Snow told the court: ‘This is an appalling situation. I am dealing with a situation where all defendants have no right to live in this country.
‘They claim they need protection to live in this country, and then return that by stealing from citizens of this country.
‘They went out with a plan to steal from citizens of this country. They took advantage of people who were distracted because they were socialising. The fact that the property was returned has nothing to do with these defendants, it is because they were caught.’
‘There are no mitigating facts here. Mr Zawi must think I was born yesterday if he thinks I believe he is 21. He is older than that.’
The court heard that Zawi was staying in a hotel in White City, west London at the time, while Fadage was smuggled in on a ‘ship from Rotterdam’ and Abderaouf overstayed his tourist visa.
‘These three defendants are committed criminals,’ Judge Snow added. ‘There is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation. I am satisfied that an appropriate punishment can only be achieved by imposing an immediate sentence of imprisonment.’
‘Details of their convictions need to be passed to the Home Office, especially as they have made claims for asylum.
With the help of a ‘sneak theft’ gang which included fellow illegal arrivals Oussama Fadage, pictured left, and Aouidj Abderaouf, right, he grabbed belongings from drinkers
‘Even if you are all released from prison after you serve half of your sentences, the Home Office should consider deportation as a likely outcome here.’
Prosecutor Frances McCormack said: ‘This was a joint enterprise. All defendants are seen on CCTV – Mr Abderaouf picks up a bag on the first occasion, and the other two help him remove the bag and walk away with him.’
Nimrah Ashraf, defending Zawi, said: ‘He has nightmares, insomnia and anxiety after he lost both his parents in Algeria.’
James Pallant, defending Fadage, said the migrant had very little money at the time of the incident, while Keima Payton, defending Abderaouf, described it as a ‘sneak theft, which did not cause alarm, fear or distress’.
Under current law, foreign offenders who receive a prison sentence of 12 months or more can be deported automatically.
Deportations only occur for sentences under a year in certain cases, for example if it involves a persistent offender or they have caused serious harm.
Last month, the Government unveiled plans to immediately kick out rapists, drug dealers and burglars who receive custodial sentences, with a lifelong ban on returning.
It comes after two prolific bag thieves who stole £2,450 worth of laptops and phones from pubgoers as they enjoyed after work drinks were jailed last month.
Daniel Ramzi, 26, and Abderrahim Mamma, 29, carried out a string of brazen thefts at pubs and restaurants across the City of London, making off with £1,950 of valuables in just one day.
The pair were caught on CCTV during one sly stunt leaning over a barrier and grabbing a man’s backpack at the Golden Goose in Leadenhall Market on January 15.
They then pull out a £500 laptop and transfer it into their own bag, before placing the still unaware victim’s rucksack back on the cobbled street and making a swift exit.
That same day, Ramzi and Mamma also pinched a £650 mobile phone from one victim’s coat pocket at a Five Guys in Bishopsgate and made off with a £800 laptop from a man’s bag at the Cross Keys pub on Gracechurch street.
But their crime spree didn’t stop here, as less than a week later Ramzi and Mamma were again caught looting unaware pubgoers from right under their noses.
On January 21, the pair went into the Lord Aberconway on Old Broad Street, where Ramzi slid a bag out from a pile and replaced it with a different bag.
They approached a second group and carried out another bag swap before leaving with a £500 haul.
Ramzi and Mamma, both of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft each.
Mamma, who also pleaded guilty to an additional seven theft offences outside the City, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to 20 months in prison.
He was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from entering the City of London for five years.
Ramzi was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 14 months in prison.
