Dramatic CCTV footage has captured the moment Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour bravely fought back against a teenage thief who snatched her phone inside a busy London café.
The incident took place at Joe & The Juice in Kensington, west London, where Chenneour, 27, confronted 18-year-old Zacariah Boulares in front of shocked customers. Stills from the video show Boulares lurking behind the actress before swiftly grabbing her phone and attempting to flee.
However, Chenneour — best known for her role as Miss Clara Livingston in Season 3 of Bridgerton — quickly sprang into action. With help from a friend, she blocked the thief’s exit, dislodged the phone from his hand, and struck him with it after retrieving it from the floor. The altercation lasted approximately four minutes before Boulares fled the scene empty-handed.
“I don’t think they expected me to stand up for myself — but I did,” Chenneour said afterward. “Getting a coffee shouldn’t require being on high alert. I’m incredibly grateful to the staff at Joe & The Juice — they were amazing during the incident and when I went back to thank them.”
Police were called to the scene on February 8, responding to reports of theft and assault. Boulares was later arrested and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 29, where he pleaded guilty to robbery and assaulting another customer, Carlo Kurcishi, during the incident.
Boulares, an Algerian national and known serial offender, had previously threatened to behead singer Aled Jones during a violent Rolex robbery in Chiswick in July 2023, when he was just 16. Despite being sentenced to two years in a youth detention center, he was released after only 14 months — and went on to commit additional crimes, including the café robbery.
He also admitted to stealing a black leather handbag from a diner in London’s West End on January 30. He has been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on July 17 at Isleworth Crown Court.
A source familiar with the case praised Chenneour’s courage: “Genevieve showed real bravery throughout. It was a very shocking incident — and a stark example of the challenges people face on London’s streets every day.”
