City of London bans notorious thief for two years
Professional pickpocket handed tough sentence
Hamza Kalouache, 34, a serial thief known for targeting pub-goers and commuters, has been banned from the City of London for two years. The seasoned criminal, active since 2020, was recently caught stealing a bag from a pub on Watling Street and snatching a phone and wallet from a commuter at King’s Cross Station.
Jail time and Criminal Behaviour Order imposed
At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, Kalouache was sentenced to two years in prison. Alongside his sentence, he received a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) barring him from entering the City for two years. With eight prior convictions, including a 20-week jail stint in 2022 for assaulting an emergency worker and theft, his latest crimes underline a persistent pattern of prey on City pubs’ patrons.
Police vow to crack down on acquisitive crime
Inspector Dan Green of the City of London Police’s Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team slammed Kalouache’s brazen crime spree. “His activity has caused significant distress to victims,” Green said. “He targets valuable property in pubs and shows no sign of stopping. This CBO will help stop him and deter others.”
Repeat offenders warned: break ban and face more prison
Kalouache risks further jail time if caught entering the City during his ban. Authorities have made it clear they are cracking down hard on thieves like him to protect London’s workers and pub-goers from relentless thefts.
