TikTok prankster Mizzy has been convicted of stealing a woman's mobile phone as he rode by on an e-bike.
The social media nuisance, real name Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, 19, of Hackney, east London, denied an offence of theft, but was convicted following a trial at Highbury Magistrates' Court on Monday, 29th April 2024.
Theft is an offence under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968. The maximum penalty for theft is 7 years' custody on conviction on indictment, 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction. We have previously written an article on the legalities surrounding theft.
Magistrates heard that the teenage tearaway, who was recently sentenced to 18 weeks' detention for two breaches of his criminal behaviour order, snatched the phone from an unsuspecting pedestrian on Wednesday, 15th June 2022.
Edward Kalber, prosecuting, told the court that police officers had initially approached O'Garro for unrelated matters a short time after the theft. The officers noted that O'Garro was astride a green e-bike and had a black and white t-shirt wrapped around his head.
As the officers approached, O'Garro fled on the e-bike and was seen to throw a reflective object over a fence. An officer managed to force O'Garro off the bike, but he continued running and was arrested later that day.
The phone, an iPhone 13 Pro Max (aff. link), was later recovered from bushes and linked to the earlier theft. O'Garro's fingerprints were all over it.
In reference to the actual theft, Magistrates heard that Ruby Hewitt was walking on Highbury New Park, Islington, at around 1 pm on the afternoon of 15th June 2022.
She was distracted by sending a text message when a young black man, wearing a blue tracksuit and black and white scarf around his head, rode by and snatched the device from her hand.
For all she didn't see the suspect's face, Ms Hewitt told the court she was quite sure of his build and ethnicity because she had seen his hands and lower arms.
Describing the incident, Ms Hewitt said: "It made me feel stressed, anxious and quite scared for my safety."
O'Garro's account, which was rejected by the court, was that he was handed the iPhone by a friend he was cycling with and was unaware it was stolen. He claimed to have fled from officers because he was afraid of the police.
Announcing the decision Fros Kyriacou, Presiding Justice, said the Bench accepted the account of the prosecution witnesses and noted there was no mention of other cyclists being present at the time of the theft.
O'Garro was granted unconditional bail until his sentencing hearing at the same court on Thursday, 13th June 2024.
Posting on X (formerly known as Twitter) this evening, a seemingly unrepetent O'Garro said: "It's funny how the wrong crowd can get you mixed up in drama dating back to when I was 17.
"Why is it now that these cases pop up, especially when I'm genuinely trying to turn my life around?"
O'Garro was 17-years-old at the time of this offence, so will be sentenced as if he were still a youth. He might now be two years' older, but his apparent attempts to spin the court a yarn indicate he is no more mature.
Given the age of this offence; the fact O'Garro was a youth at the time; the fact he has since served a period of detention; I really would not be surprised if he receives a conditional discharge.
It'll have been a very costly day, for very little outcome.
Update (13/6/24): O'Garro has now been sentenced.
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