Abdi-Rahman Khaliif-Ali targeted officer posing as drunk in sting operation before violent attack in London’s West End
A watch thief who strangled an undercover police officer during an attempt to steal his luxury Rolex has been jailed for life.
Abdi-Rahman Khaliif-Ali, 26, targeted the unnamed officer who was posing as a lost drunk as part of a sting operation investigating street robberies targeting high-value watches in the capital.
The violent thief pounced on the officer in London’s West End, attempting to steal what he believed was a valuable timepiece before launching into a vicious assault when his robbery was thwarted.
Khaliif-Ali was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of four years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to assault with intent to rob and intentional strangulation.
The sting operation
The victim was an undercover officer taking part in a covert operation aimed at catching thieves who target people wearing expensive watches in central London.
Playing the role of a vulnerable drunk person, the officer was followed by Khaliif-Ali, who offered to take him to the nearest train station.
The thief led the officer to Covent Garden station, which he falsely told him was Tottenham Court Road station, all while keeping the victim “not far” from their supposed destination.
Attack on the stairs
As they walked, Khaliif-Ali began speaking about and looking at the officer’s watch, raising suspicions about his true intentions.
When they approached a set of stairs, the violent criminal struck – grabbing the officer’s neck from behind and beginning to strangle him.
The attack was so severe that the experienced officer later revealed he had helped victims during the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attacks but “felt safer at a terrorist attack than I did during the incident.
I realised I was on my own and fighting for my life,” the officer said in a victim impact statement.
Already on licence
Disturbingly, Khaliif-Ali was on licence at the time of the attack, having been previously detained under the Mental Health Act in 2018 for wounding with intent.
The 26-year-old from Ealing had a history of violence and mental health issues, including diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia and gambling addiction.
Prosecutor’s response
Senior Crown Prosecutor Claire Campbell said: “This would have been a terrifying experience for the victim, despite being a trained undercover police officer who was protecting the streets of our capital.
“It is deeply concerning to think about what the consequences might have been if this happened to a member of the public. Khaliif-Ali will now be behind bars for a significant period of time.
The CPS will continue to work with and support our police partners who are playing a vital role in tackling the issue of watch thefts in London.
Rising threat of watch robberies
The case highlights the growing problem of violent watch thefts in London, with criminals increasingly targeting people wearing luxury timepieces in the capital’s wealthiest areas.
Police have launched specialist operations using undercover officers to combat the threat, which has seen victims violently attacked for watches worth tens of thousands of pounds.
The sentence sends a strong message that those who commit such violent crimes will face severe punishment, even when their intended victims are trained police officers working to keep London’s streets safe.
