Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour was left shaken after fighting off a teenage thief who attempted to steal her phone at a London coffee shop before she tackled him
The teenager who attempted to steal Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour’s phone has been jailed for 22 months. The star, who appeared as Clara Livingston in the third season of the popular Netflix series, was ambushed at Joe & The Juice in Kensington, south-west London.
The 27-year-old former Team GB athlete bravely confronted the thief, Zacariah Boulares, after he grabbed her phone off a counter. Dramatic CCTV footage captured Genevieve grabbing him before wrestling him to the ground with the aid of her then-boyfriend, scriptwriter Carlo Kureishi.
During the tussle, she reclaimed her phone and hit him with it, later stating: “They didn’t expect me to stand up for myself, but I did. ”
Carlo, son of writer Hanif Kureishi, was assaulted during the scuffle and warned he would be stabbed. Recounting the ordeal at Isleworth Crown Court, Genevieve expressed how “extremely shaken” she was by the February incident.
Her victim impact statement detailed her heightened anxiety and reluctance to leave her home, saying: “I am extremely worried I might see both suspects, I felt like I emotionally shut down, and I am anxious to leave my home again. “
She admitted her fondness for Joe & The Juice but confessed to feeling apprehensive about returning and even contemplating moving away from London due to fear. She also said she was left with concussion and claimed even her dog was “traumatised”.
Echoing her feelings, Carlo shared his own unease, remarking, “I feel like being in a cafe is going to make me feel paranoid and unsafe. ” Prosecutor Alex Mullen told the court: “She ordered a drink and sat waiting for it to be made.
“While she was waiting, she noticed that the defendant walked past her. Then, a short time after, she heard a sound as if someone was very close behind her. She turned and she witnessed the defendant taking her phone from the counter. ”
She said Carlo was able to detain Boulares, but was attacked by an unknown accomplice who threatened to “f** [him] up or stab [him]. ”*
Police were called by Genevieve and other café customers as the drama unfolded. Boulares, 18, from Hounslow, admitted theft and common assault. He also pleaded guilty to stealing a handbag from a diner at Pizza Pilgrims, and a backpack from a blind couple at Five Guys all in Kensington, within ten days.
He has 12 previous convictions for 28 offence,s including threatening Songs of Praise presenter Aled Jones with a 20-inch machete during a Rolex robbery in 2022. Aled, 52, was out with his son when Boulares, then 16, told him: “Give me your f*king Rolex or I will cut your arm off. ”
After handing over the £17k Daytona, they tried to follow him – only for Boulares to threaten: “Walk the other way or I will cut your head off. ”
Boulares served just 14 months of a two-year sentence. In court this week, Boulares appeared in a grey tracksuit and flipped his middle finger at reporters after being sentenced.
Judge Martin Edmund said: “The trauma extends also to his girlfriend. You chose to adopt a systematic lifestyle of preying on those who had more than you. ”
He said Genevieve was “seriously affected, experiencing depression and anxiety to the extent that she is considering leaving London. ” In court, Boulares was handed consecutive sentences, with five months for a theft at Pizza Pilgrims, seven months for snatching Genevieve’s phone, four months for assaulting Carlo and six months for an incident at Five Guys.
An application for a criminal behaviour order will be heard on July 9. Superintendent Owen Renowden said: “His behaviour showed a blatant disregard for others and their belongings, even going as far to admit that he only targets vulnerable people. I commend the determination of officers who brought him to justice. ”
