A Middle-Eastern pickpocket who targeted a late-night victim with an accomplice and attacked a suspicious policeman in the West End has been jailed and recommended for deportation.
Mohammed Abuabdallah, 23, of Larch Road, Cricklewood struck up a conversation about football with a random lone male, who was distracted during the chat, and his wallet snatched.
Just a week later he was suspected of doing the same thing and was chased by police, punching the arresting officer on the chin.
Abuabdallah pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to stealing a wallet in Edgware Road, Bayswater on May 9.
He also admitted assaulting a police officer in Falconberg Mews (pictured) on May 16 and possessing a cannabis cigarette on the same occasion.
Prosecutor Miss Usha Shergill told the court it was 2.30am when the defendant and his accomplice approached a man they "tried to befriend" who immediately noticed his wallet was missing after the conversation.
He confronted the pair outside Marks & Spencer, Marble Arch and his wallet was thrown back at him.
During a struggle the victim pulled Abuabdallah's jacket off, which the police discovered contained tell-tale DNA identifying the defendant.
A week later a similar victim claimed his wallet was taken by the defendant at 2.40am and when police searched him the cannabis was found and the officer assaulted after a short chase.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC sentenced him to nine months imprisonment and recommended deportation announcing: "Your intent was to deprive your victim of what property you could and through sleight of hand removed his wallet.
"You also punched that officer in the jaw. It is a very serious matter to assault a police officer.
"You had hardly set foot in this country when you started committing crime."
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