Two asylum seekers who stole £25k gold Rolex in London's Soho allowed to walk free

18 July 2024, 10:34

  • Have you been a victim of watch theft? Tell LBC your story. Email crime@lbc.co.uk
Both of them received community orders
Both of them received community orders. Picture: LBC/Getty

By Emma Soteriou

Two asylum seekers who stole a £25,000 gold Rolex in London's West End last year have been allowed to walk free.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Yousef Garef, 21, and Amin Abdelkadar, 25, who both admitted to robbery, were spared jail and instead given community orders on Wednesday.

The pair attacked Kris Smith at around 2am in Soho on July 21, 2023.

Garef grabbed his gold Rolex Day Date watch while Abdelkadar covered his mouth to stop him shouting out for help.

Read more: Met Police officer numbers drop as force calls for 'thousands of applicants' in new recruitment drive

Read more: Man shot dead on residential street close to Liverpool training ground, as police launch murder investigation

Two asylum seekers who targeted a reveller for his £25,000 Rolex in London’s West End have walked free from court
Two asylum seekers who targeted a reveller for his £25,000 Rolex in London’s West End have walked free from court. Picture: Rolex

Donna Longcroft, prosecuting, said: "Mr Smith was approached by a male on an e-scooter, who was keenly interested in his watch.

"About 30 minutes later the victim was walking along Dean Street in Soho.

"He turned right onto Old Compton Street, and was approached by a male in a white bucket hat, who introduced himself as Yousef.

"They walked along Old Compton Street towards Wardour Street. Another male followed and spoke to Garef.

"Garef grabbed the right hand of the victim and put his hand over the watch... Abdelkadar hugged the victim and covered his mouth as Garef tried to take the watch.

"The victim was shouting: ‘Don’t take my watch! Don’t take my watch!'"

Yousef Garef
Yousef Garef. Picture: Met Police

Judge Adam Hiddleston said: "You followed and attacked a member of the public with the intent of stealing from him a valuable watch.

"Such offending has become a scourge of the West End.

"They have become an all too frequent occurrence in the past few years.

"These offences took place in the early hours of the morning. You were both acting as part of a group and you were targeting high value property."

Amin Abdelkadar
Amin Abdelkadar. Picture: Met police

Abdelkadar received a two-year community order and Garef received a three-year community order, with them both needing to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 40 hours of a rehabilitation activity.

A curfew has been put in place for six months, meaning they will not be able to leave the Home Office Asylum Centre in Islington between 9pm and 6am.

And as a result of a five-year criminal behaviour order, neither of them will be allowed to enter the western half of the City of Westminster or maintain contact with each other.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

President Donald Trump speaks on Wednesday night

Trump says 'the US wants its money back on Ukraine' as he makes plans to meet Putin and end war

Exclusive
Katie Amess has spoken out about the need for an inquiry into her father's murder by an Islamist terrorist

Daughter of Sir David Amess, MP murdered by Islamist terrorist, ‘made to sign NDA’ on report into father’s death

Exclusive
Angela Rayner reveals she took advice from NHS trauma specialists ahead of Grenfell demolition meeting

Angela Rayner reveals she took advice from NHS trauma specialists ahead of Grenfell demolition meeting

Italian F1 Grand Prix - Previews

Nightclub bouncer behind £12m plot to reveal Formula One star Michael Schumacher's health secrets jailed

Josef Fritzl

Incest monster Josef Fritzl could walk free from prison next year - and expects 'cheering crowds' to greet him

Ofsted's Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver supports an extension to term times

'Time to think about school holidays': Ofsted's Chief Inspector supports extending term times

Exclusive
Angela Rayner insisted that British support for Ukraine was 'unwavering'

Rayner insists UK support for Ukraine 'unwavering' despite Trump's plan for 'immediate' peace talks with Putin

Prince William, President of BAFTA, operates a film camera as he visits the London Screen Academy in London, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

William tries his hand at being a cameraman on visit to London film academy

President Donald J. Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin during the G20 Japan Summit Friday, June 28, 2019, in Osaka, Japan.

Trump and Putin 'to meet in Saudi Arabia' and 'start negotiations immediately' to end war in Ukraine

Street scene in Peckham, London, with red bus

Bus driver, 76, found guilty of killing passenger who was run over while attempting to board vehicle

Norward Road, Lambeth, the proposed LTN.

Council staff given 'wellbeing day' after attending 'stormy' neighbourhood meeting

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, shakes hands with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb.

Ukraine's NATO membership plans 'unrealistic' says US - as defence secretary claims US troops won't be peacekeepers

Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire

Officer accused of pinning down and trying to kiss soldier, 19, had been 'waiting for moment for them to be alone'

A public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks will begin 'within weeks'

Public inquiry into Nottingham attacks will begin 'within weeks', PM tells victims' families

Paul Allen.

Cagefighter guilty of Britain's largest cash robbery shot in neck in his kitchen in murder plot

Lucy Harrison

British woman, 23, dies after being shot dead at dad's US house as 'utterly heartbroken' family pays tribute