'Rolex Ripper' who robbed tourist of £10k watch avoids prison

A 'Rolex Ripper' who snatched a £10,000 'Lamborghini' watch in London's West End walked free as a judge alluded to the overcrowded nature of Britain's prisons.

Algerian Adam Benchima, 23, grabbed the designer timepiece from tourist Xuanyin Ma earlier this year in Soho, but was spared jail after a judge took into account the 'prevailing conditions in prison'.

The same prison overcrowding led Labour to free 1,700 prisoners early last month to ease the load as jails reached crisis point.

Benchima worked with two accomplices not before the court to get the watch on January 10, beginning by making conversation with the tourist as he waited for a taxi on Greek Street.

Two of them grabbed his arms, and the other swiped the watch from his wrist, Southwark crown court heard.

Benchima, who has been on remand since he admitted the offence in February, claimed he committed the crime as a means to 'pay off his debts' to some friends.

Prosecutor Rachel Rodney said: 'The complainant and his companions were walking along Shaftesbury Avenue when the defendant and two associates spotted them and followed.

'Two men took hold of the complainant's arm and pretended to be drunk, and a third then grabbed the complainant's arm and took the watch. The three men then fled the scene.'

However, Benchima, of Kingthorpe Road, Stonebridge Park, northwest London, was later identified on CCTV and arrested.

'He played a significant role, working with others in a deliberate and targeted manner,' continued Ms Rodney.

'The group did not need to consult each other before committing the offence it therefore looks like there was at least some planning.

'The watch was not recovered, and there was an application for compensation, the watch was worth £10,000.'

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Defending, Mai Kuan Yew said: 'He was pressured by the others to commit the offence, as a means to pay off his debts.

'He borrowed the money to buy a bike for delivery work, he used to do pick up jobs as a delivery driver, and at the point where he committed the offence, the friends were demanding the money back immediately.

'He could not pay for it, so they demanded for him to commit the offence as a means to pay off his debts.'

Benchima was 'terrified' of going back to prison, the court heard, after he pleaded guilty to one count of robbery before the sentencing.

Ms Recorder Henrietta Paget KC described the robbery as 'nasty', saying that 'visitors from overseas should feel safe to come to our capital'.

The judge revealed that an appropriate sentence had Benchima taken the matter to trial would have been two years, but instead lowered this to 20 months as a result of his early guilty plea, noting 'the effect that your time in prison has had on you'.

She then said that she felt able to suspend the sentence, for two years, as it was the 23-year-old's first offence. The offender is also required to do 30 days of rehabilitation.

'I hope you know Mr Benchima that I have taken a chance on you today, don't waste it,' she concluded.

Benchima's case is among a concerning rise in luxury watch thefts.

The number of luxury thefts in London has surged by 22 per cent in the past year - with nearly 10,000 watches, handbags and pieces of jewellery stolen by criminals.

Gangs of robbers frequently target the capital's high-end shopping and entertainment districts to grab valuables from e-scooters and mopeds, with wealthy tourists a common target.