An Algerian migrant who stole laptops worth £31,000 from City workers during a two-month crime spree has been jailed for 18 months.

Munir Ghilas, 28, targeted 16 separate victims at bars in central London between August 5 and September 25 last year. 

Ghilas grabbed a laptop worth £2,700, from Matthew Bourn in All Bar One, on Byward Street and another worth £3,450 from Matthew Bayman on August 5.

He also took Jacob Wyatt's Apple MacBook from that pub.

The following day, Ghilas stole another Apple MacBook worth £3,500 from Daniel Lloyd, who was drinking at the Aldgate Tap House.

On August 15, he swiped four laptops worth £3,750 in a day from The Banker pub.

Ghilas was arrested on August 21 but continued to offend despite being released on police bail with conditions not to return to the City of London.

He went on to steal five laptops worth £7,280 from Nicholas Fletcher, Andrew Bell and Stefan-Howard Rigby at the Lord Raglan pub in Holborn on September 24.

The next day he grabbed five laptops and a passport from drinkers in The Oyster Shed Public House on Angel Lane, central London.

He went back to his happy hunting ground at The Banker to steal a laptop computer from Christopher Hall the same day. 

Ghilas assaulted a police officer when he was arrested on September 25, before running away and successfully evading arrest.

He was finally arrested on October 23 after being caught unwrapping a laptop belonging to architecture firm Rodney Melville & Partners from tinfoil and handing it to an accomplice. 

As he was jailed for one year, he will be liable to automatic deportation. 

Ghilas originally moved to the UK from Algeria and claims he is a trained chef.

He claims he began stealing laptops to finance his cocaine and alcohol addiction.

Wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit and assisted by an Algerian interpreter, he appeared at Southwark Crown Court today via videolink from HMP Wandsworth. 

The thief, of Southwark, admitted 18 counts of theft, handling stolen goods and assaulting an emergency worker.

Laura Jeffrey, prosecuting, said: ‘On seven dates over a period of two months Mr Ghilas targeted victims who were drinking and socialising in pubs in the city of London.

‘He targeted his victims in the evening after work as this inevitably meant that many patrons would have rucksacks containing high value laptops.

‘It also meant that his victims were distracted as they were socialising, often in large groups.’

She continued: ‘All of Mr Ghilas’ victims had put their bags on the floor - normally a pile of their bags under their table or where a group was standing outside, in a pile near to the group.

‘Mr Ghilas attended the pubs, often in the company of another.

‘The modus operandi was simple - Mr Ghilas, often with his accomplice, would attend pubs in the city of London, sometimes having a drink to blend in, often with their own rucksacks.

‘They would then either use their feet to drag an entire rucksack towards them, or bend down with their own rucksack next to the victims’ bag, before transferring a laptop from the victims’ bag to theirs.

‘Each of the thefts involved theft of a laptop, all 18, with some involving the theft of other items such as AirPods, phones and a passport.’

Ms Jeffrey said Ghilas was identified by police via CCTV footage but carried on offending even after being arrested.

‘On August 21 of last year, in the middle of the thefts, Mr Ghilas was arrested from his home address and released on police bail. This did not deter him, with nine of the thefts on two dates occurring after this time.

‘The subsequent offences were in breach of his police bail conditions to not enter the city of London.’

Ghilas was re-arrested on 21 September but managed to evade arrest.

Ms Jeffrey continued: 'When PC Blake was about to put Mr Ghilas in handcuffs, Mr Ghilas grabbed PC Blake’s left hand and twisted it, causing a mild pain.

‘As a result, PC Blake let go of Mr Ghilas - PC Blake then chased Mr Ghilas for a considerable distance but Mr Ghilas was able to evade apprehension.

‘The total value of the thefts was £31,717 - the highest single theft was £3,900 with another of £3,500.’ 

Ghilas' final offence came on 23 October 2025 when he was caught by on-duty officers ‘unwrapping a laptop from tinfoil’ and handing it to an accomplice.

‘It was at this stage he was arrested’, Ms Jeffrey said.

In a victim impact read out to court, Stuart Chalmers said he was left feeling ‘angry and frustrated’ after having his £700 laptop stolen by Ghilas.

Ms Jeffrey said the thefts required ‘some sophistication’ as Ghilas ‘was able to steal multiple laptops, often from the same group, whilst being entirely undetected.’

She said laptop-theft caused ‘high levels of inconvenience’ because the devices ‘inevitably hold an individuals’ documents, work and data which individuals are reliant on for carrying on work.’

Daniel Darnbrough, defending, said: ‘Mr Ghilas is an Algerian national, before his arrest and before these matters he’d never been in trouble before.

‘In Algeria he is a trained chef with qualifications, he worked in hotels specialising in Italian food, he was living a good life. 

‘There came a breakdown in a long-term relationship - trying to get over that breakdown he moved to the UK hoping for a change and a new start.

‘He had been told that for somebody with his skills it would be very easy to find work in London. 

‘It certainly wasn’t easy, or as easy as he’d hoped, and his life went horribly wrong.

‘He fell in with the wrong crowd, he started drinking too much, started taking cocaine and Pregablin, and ended up stealing to fund his drug use.’

Mr Darnbrough pointed out that Ghilas ‘would sell his laptops to his drug dealer’.

‘He has expressed his remorse in conference to me, he said he’s very sorry for his actions and stealing laptops, but especially for hurting the police officer as he tried to flee,' he siad. 

Judge Sally-Ann Hales KC said Ghilas ‘targeted people out drinking and socialising in London, often doing so in large groups after work in the evening, and stole from them.

She told him: ‘You are now 28 years old, soon to turn 29, you have never been in trouble before, and this is your first experience of custody, having been remanded now for some three months.

‘I bear in mind everything that has been said on your behalf by your counsel, you arrived in the UK from Algeria as a trained chef and moved here with, I do not doubt, the sincere belief that you would be able to find work to support yourself.’

She added: ‘The fact is that these offences seen as a whole are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.’

For the lead offence of theft committed on September 25, Ghilas was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

He was also given 19 weeks each for the 15 thefts admitted to at crown court and 16 weeks for the two thefts admitted to at the magistrates court, all to run concurrently.

For handling stolen goods, Ghilas was handed a 19 week concurrent sentence and no separate penalty was ordered for the assault of an emergency worker.

Sat upright, Ghilas appeared unmoved over video-link from HMP Wandsworth as the sentences were handed down.

Investigating officer Police Constable Pradip Gurung, of the Volume Crime Unit at the City of London Police, said: 'Munir Ghilas is a professional thief, targeting the valuable property of victims who are out and about in City pubs and he showed no signs of stopping his criminal activities.

'We remain committed to tackling bag thefts and ensuring those responsible for such crimes are brought before the courts. We have already made significant arrests which have led to a number of successful prosecutions.

'Through increased patrols, targeted operations and using our extensive camera network in the City, we are enhancing our ability to deter criminal activities and respond swiftly when incidents occur.'