Violent thief who attempted to rob luxury watch from undercover officer jailed

A watch thief who unwittingly targeted an undercover police officer wearing a luxury timepiece has been jailed.

Abdi-Rahman Khaliif-Ali, 26, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of four years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court today. He had earlier pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob and intentional strangulation at a plea hearing in January.

The officer was part of an undercover sting investigating street robberies that target high-value watches in the capital.

The victim was followed by Khaliif-Ali, who offered to take him to the nearest train station.

They eventually arrived at Covent Garden station, which the defendant told him was Tottenham Court Road station. Khaliif-Ali, who was on licence at the time of the attack, kept telling the officer they were “not far” from their destination.

After asking Khaliif-Ali to direct him to Wardour Street, the officer noticed he was looking at and speaking about his watch.

When they approached a set of stairs, Khaliif-Ali grabbed the officer’s neck from behind and started to strangle him.

He attempted to remove the watch but failed. As Khaliif-Ali attacked the victim, another police officer arrived and arrested him.

The attack left the undercover officer with a swollen lip, swelling and cuts to his face.

Claire Campbell of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was a sustained and serious attack from a violent individual determined to steal the victim’s watch by any means necessary.

“This would have been a terrifying experience for the victim, despite being a trained undercover police officer who was protecting the streets of our capital. It is deeply concerning to think about what the consequences might have been if this happened to a member of the public. Khaliif-Ali will now be behind bars for a significant period of time.

“The CPS will continue to work with and support our police partners who are playing a vital role in tackling the issue of watch thefts in London.”