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Serial Phone Thief Sentenced to 22 Months as Bridgerton Actress Leaves London

The case underscores growing concern over a wave of violent phone snatches in wealthy London districts.

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Overview

  • Zacariah Boulares, 18, was jailed for 22 months at Isleworth Crown Court after pleading guilty to multiple thefts and an assault, including snatching Genevieve Chenneour’s phone in a Kensington café on February 8.
  • CCTV footage captured Boulares grabbing the actress’s iPhone 14 Pro behind the counter, prompting Chenneour and her partner to tackle him and recover the device during the daylight robbery.
  • In her victim impact statement Chenneour described ongoing anxiety, recurring nightmares and a decision to move out of London for the first time since she was 15.
  • Judge Martin Edmunds KC condemned Boulares’s “systematic pattern” of targeting affluent diners for “rich pickings” and highlighted his willingness to use violence when challenged.
  • Police recorded over 70,000 phone-snatching incidents across London in 2024, driving calls for tougher sentences and targeted interventions to curb repeat violent thefts.