In a dramatic moment caught on CCTV, Bridgerton actress and former elite athlete Genevieve Chenneour was seen bravely defending herself against a prolific thief who snatched her phone at a popular café in west London.
The incident occurred at Joe & the Juice on Kensington High Street, where Chenneour, 27, was enjoying a coffee with a friend during a dog walk.
Surveillance footage shows the actress leaping into action after Zacariah Boulares, 18, crept up behind her and stole her phone.
Customers were left stunned as Chenneour, who plays gossip-loving Clara Livingston in Bridgerton Season 3, physically confronted the hooded attacker in a bold effort to reclaim her belongings.
“They didn't expect me to stand up for myself, but I did,” Chenneour told MailOnline.
Boulares, a convicted thief of Algerian descent, is no stranger to violent crime. Just 18 months prior, he was sentenced to 24 months in youth detention for threatening to behead singer Aled Jones during a robbery in which he stole the Welsh chorister’s £17,000 Rolex in Chiswick. He was released after serving just 14 months.
Now legally named and pictured after turning 18, Boulares has been linked to a string of offences, with 12 prior convictions across 28 crimes.
His criminal record came under renewed scrutiny after he pleaded guilty on May 29 to stealing Chenneour’s phone and assaulting another customer, Carlo Kurcishi, during the same incident.
Before her acting career took off, Chenneour represented Team GB in artistic swimming, competing in major international events, including the 2015 European Games. Her athletic background likely contributed to her quick reflexes and fearless response.