A man has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for the robbery of a £28,000 Rolex watch from an individual outside Liverpool Street Station in London. Mohammed Fremoule, 29, of Walthamstow, pleaded guilty to robbery and handling stolen goods.
The incident occurred on the evening of August 16 last year. Fremoule was captured on multiple CCTV cameras observing his victim, who was wearing a boot for a broken left foot and was with a companion. Footage shows Fremoule circling the victim before approaching and forcibly taking the watch from his wrist. The victim, due to his injury, attempted to turn but lost balance.
Following the theft, Fremoule was seen fleeing the scene, narrowly avoiding traffic as he crossed a main road. He was later arrested on March 29 after being found with a stolen mobile phone. The Rolex watch was not recovered and was uninsured.
Detective Constable Marcus Fairclough of the City of London Police described the act as a "callous and opportunistic robbery" targeting a vulnerable victim. He emphasized the effectiveness of the City of London's extensive CCTV network in tracing the suspect's movements and building a case.
"This sentence sends a clear message that those who come to the City to commit crime will be relentlessly pursued," Fairclough stated. "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."
The City of London Police attributed Fremoule's apprehension to its recently launched Safer City Streets initiative, which aims to prevent crime and target prolific offenders within the Square Mile business district. The force highlighted its advanced CCTV capabilities as a key asset for real-time suspect tracking and resource deployment.