A prolific thief who stole a suitcase containing £250,000 worth of luxury jewellery and designer bags from Formula One driver Jenson Button's wife has been jailed for two years and four months.
Mourad Aid, 41, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court today after admitting the brazen theft outside St Pancras International Station in February.
The Algerian national targeted Brittny Button's Goyard carry-on as the couple returned from a romantic Valentine's getaway to Paris.
Aid will be automatically deported to Algeria after serving his sentence, having been living in the country illegally.
Brittny Button's £70,000 suitcase was stolen which contained expensive jewellery and designer bags
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He arrived in the UK in 2019 on a tourist visa but continued to stay following its expiration after six months.
The theft occurred on February 13 when Aid swooped on the suitcase whilst Button briefly turned his back to help a chauffeur load luggage into their vehicle.
The stolen carry-on contained antique jewellery from Brittny's wedding and the birth of her daughter, alongside two Kelly bags worth approximately £70,000.
CCTV footage captured Aid running through the busy station wheeling the red suitcase past the British Library after the opportunistic crime.
"He had his back on mine, and a guy just came and swooped it," Brittny recalled.
"We didn't even see him do it. So they were probably watching us."
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The interior designer burst into tears following the "traumatising" ordeal, which cast a dark cloud over their getaway.
"I just started crying," she said, revealing the couple quickly headed to the airport to return to their home in California.
Brittny had hoped to pass the valuable items down to her daughter, describing them as long-term investments for her children.
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Brittny Button is said to be 'traumatised' over returning to London
"I don't really have many things from my parents, I don't really have many family heirlooms and I wish I did. So it's really heartbreaking," she said.
The theft has marred the couple's view of Britain, with Brittny stating they have "no interest" in returning to the UK.
Aid had pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 19, just five days after the incident.
He was arrested by plain clothes British Transport Police officers on February 17, four days after targeting the couple.
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Jenson Button has been married to his wife since March 2022INSTAGRAMBritish Transport Police Detective Sergeant Marc Farmer praised the swift investigation.
"This was a brazen and opportunistic theft by a man who took advantage of the victim and her husband having their backs turned for a matter of seconds," he said.
"While the incident wasn't captured on CCTV, we were still able to trace Aid through other investigative opportunities, and he was arrested by our plain clothes officers just days later."
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