A Jewelry thief from Barrie will be spending the next 10 months under house arrest as part of a conditional sentence for pleading guilty to an August 2025 shopping mall smash-and-grab. Ahmed Al-Saeed, 22, left the Barrie courthouse Tuesday afternoon shielded by friends, who covered his face with a sweater to avoid being captured on camera. Al-Saeed was released from custody after 13 months behind bars at Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene. Arrested on Aug. 18, 2025, he admitted in May to being one of four masked thieves who used hammers to smash display cases and rob Dia Amore Jewellers just before 1 p.m. in the Georgian Mall. The accused were arrested when their getaway car, a stolen Honda Civic, crashed in a construction zone along Innisfil Beach Road where police tracked down Al-Saeed and four others, including three young men under the age of 18. One of those teens, the court heard during Al-Saeed’s sentencing proceedings, had an imitation firearm on him that was left behind when the thieves were chased from the store. Now 18, the teen returns to court in November. Al-Saeed, the court heard fled Syria with his mother and six siblings before moving to Barrie. CTV News has learned Al-Saeed worked as a mechanic before he was fired days prior to the robbery. He admitted to being caught red-handed trying to make off with thousands of dollars in jewelry in the failed smash-and-grab. Despite the Crown asking that he spend another year in jail, Justice Robert Gattrell gave the defence what it wanted by handing Al-Saeed a conditional sentence of 10 months under house arrest with exceptions for shopping for necessities and prayer at the mosque. Al-Saeed said to the court he has found religion while in jail. Two others, whose identities are protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, have pleaded guilty for their roles in the robbery, including the now 17-year-old getaway driver who has been out on bail since his arrest, as he awaits a pre-sentence report. The Crown is seeking jail time for the teen. Another man, Jahzyi Smith, who turns 20 next month, of Mississauga, remains behind bars and returns to court in mid-October. He is also accused of similar charges in Peel. As part of his sentence Al-Saeed has been placed on probation for two years and is banned from having weapons on him for 10. The allegations against his remaining co-accused have not been tested in court.
