Genevieve Chenneour, who plays Miss Clara Livingston in Netflix hit Bridgeton, defended herself after Zacariah Boulares struck in a branch of Joe & The Juice in Kensington, west London
These dramatic images show a Bridgerton actress bravely defend herself from a teenage thug who pinches her phone in a trendy coffee shop.
CCTV captures Genevieve Chenneour, 27, fight back in front of stunned customers in the Joe & The Juice in Kensington, west London, after Zacariah Boulares, 18, had pounced. The teenage thug admitted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon and will be sentenced next month.
Ms Chenneour, born in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said: “They didn’t expect me to stand up for myself – but I did. Getting a coffee shouldn’t be something you need your wits about you for. I’m so grateful to the staff at Joe & The Juice – they were incredible during the incident and when I went back to see them after.”
It has now emerged Boulares, a serial phone thief, threatened to behead singer Aled Jones during a terrifying Rolex robbery in Chiswick, west London, in July 2023 – when the yob was just 16. He was sentenced to a two-year term at a youth detention centre, but was released after just 14 months – and able to carry out more crimes, including the one at the Joe & The Juice.
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Stills from the CCTV at the juice bar show the hooded Boulares lurking behind the actress, who was out with a friend walking her dog. He took the star’s phone and assaulted another customer, Carlo Kurcishi.
But Ms Chenneour, who has played Miss Clara Livingston in Bridgerton since season three, quickly leapt into action and took down the thief with the help of her friend. The fearless actress put her arm out to block the thief from leaving and then dislodged the phone from his hand.
Retrieving the iPhone from the floor, she then used the device to strike Boulares who was left helpless on the floor. The tussle would continue for four minutes, after which the humbled yob left the café without the phone. Police were called to reports of theft and an assault on February 8.
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Boulares appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 29, where he pleaded guilty to stealing the phone and assaulting Mr Kurcishi. He also admitted stealing a black leather hand bag from a diner at a pizza restaurant in London’s West End on 30 January this year. The teenager, an Algerian national, was remanded into custody and will now be sentenced on July 17 at Isleworth Crown Court in west London.
A source was previously quoted as saying: “Genevieve showed real bravery throughout. It was a very shocking incident. It shows what is happening on London’s streets on a daily basis.” More than 70,000 phones were snatched in London in 2024, out of an estimated 100,000 thefts across the UK. Joe & The Juice, founded in 2002 in Copenhagen, has nearly 400 coffee shops across Europe, Asia and North America. The Mirror has approached the group for comment.