Algerian Thief Has Last Laugh After Swiping Cash

An Algerian thief laughed at the sentence he received for swiping a woman's cash.

Djamal Sayah, 38, of Market Street, Paddock, Huddersfield, admitted an offence of theft when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026.

Theft is an offence under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968. The maximum sentence for theft is 7 years' custody on conviction on indictment, 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction. We have previously written an article on the legalities surrounding theft.

Magistrates heard that Sayah, who has been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK, committed the offence when he was in the HSBC bank in Huddersfield town centre.

A fellow customer was counting cash, when quick as a flash Sayah swiped the notes from under her nose.

The 38-year-old crook then ran off into the distance, but was arrested by the police a short time later. He told officers: "I find money on table - there was no violence".

Sayah has been no stranger to the courts during his 15-year residence in the UK. He was released from custody in November, having been imprisoned for possession of a bladed article. He also has a string of shop thefts to his name.

Jonathan Slawinski, mitigating, told the court that his client felt "embarrassed and ashamed" at his most recent offence.

Mr Slawinski said that Sayah had struggled with work and accommodation since his release from prison. He was claiming benefits and has done "cash in hand" work. The stolen £100 was spent on food and rent.

Magistrates elected to step outside of their guidelines and impose a £100 standalone compensation order, which does not attract the statutory surcharge.

Addressing Sayah, the Presiding Justice said: "We are taking a lenient view of this. We are giving credit for your guilty plea and your personal circumstances."

The 38-year-old laughed and was told "it's not to be laughed at".

Given the information available, I cannot imagine reaching a similar view. A conditional discharge could have easily been added on top, which would at least hang over Sayah's head and give more teeth to the next court if he were to reoffend (which is entirely likely).

A standalone compensation order is a perfectly valid sentencing option, but should be imposed with caution as it effectively means the offender escapes punishment - e.g. they only pay back what they legitimately owe, having cost the public purse a fortune in the process.

"We are taking a lenient view of this" is a clumsy comment and one that should be avoided.

The last thing the public wants to hear is about the court being lenient towards a serial thief - a serial thief who committed a very brazen crime and clearly shows very little remorse.

Better to say something along the lines of "the law requires us to consider your financial circumstances, which is why we impose the sentence we do".

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