This is the moment a robber rips a £28,000 Rolex from the wrist of an injured man outside Liverpool Street station in central London.
Dramatic footage shows offender Mohammed Fremoule stalking the victim, who had a broken angle, and lurking outside the gates to the station for some time.
The victim is seen hugging a female companion with his back turned to 29-year-old Fremoule.
While the victim is distracted and looking down at his phone, Fremoule tears the luxury designer timepiece from his wrist and takes off.
The stunned victims quickly spin around in the CCTV footage, but Fremoule had already fled the scene.
He was arrested on March 29 and was found in possession of a stolen mobile phone. The watch, which was uninsured, has never been recovered.
Fremoule pled guilty to robbery and handling stolen goods and was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court.
Detective Constable Marcus Fairclough, from the City of London Police, said: “This was a callous and opportunistic robbery, carried out against a vulnerable victim who was already suffering from a broken ankle. The offender targeted him, stalked him outside Liverpool Street Station and then violently ripped a watch worth approximately £28,000 from his wrist, before making off.
“Due to our extensive CCTV network, we were able to capture the incident and trace the suspect’s movements. Working closely with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police, we were able to build the evidence needed to bring him before the courts.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who come to the City to commit crime will be relentlessly pursued. Through our investigations, partnerships and world-class CCTV coverage, we are identifying offenders, bringing them to justice and helping to keep the City’s streets safe by locking up criminals who pose a threat to the public.”
In January, a Standard investigation revealed more than £22 million of luxury watches, handbags and jewellery have been stolen by thieves across London in the past two years.
According to latest Metropolitan Police data obtained by the Standard via a Freedom of Information request, 3,428 watches valued above £3,000 were stolen between January 1, 2023 and November 30 last year.
