Burglary suspect denies role in Tamara Ecclestone house raid that saw £300,000 diamond earrings, jewellery and watches stolen in £50million haul
- Emil-Bogdan Savastru, 29, was allegedly found by police in possession of a Louis Vuitton bag similar to one taken in the raid and was planning to fly to Japan
- He denied a conspiracy to burgle, having custody or control of counterfeit currency, and attempting to remove criminal property via video-link from prison
- Savastru appeared in court alongside his mother Maria Mester, 47
- Mester has previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and a charge of concealing criminal property
A Romanian bartender has denied plotting to steal £50million of property from the £70million London mansion of heiress Tamara Ecclestone.
Emil-Bogdan Savastru, 29, was allegedly found by police in possession of a Louis Vuitton bag similar to one taken in the raid and was planning to fly to Japan.
He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court accused of conspiracy to burgle between November 30 last year and February this year, and having custody or control of counterfeit currency, as well as attempting to remove criminal property in January.
Savastru, of Bethnal Green, east London pleaded not guilty to all charges via video-link from Wormwood Scrubs prison.
It follows a £50million raid on the home of Ms Ecclestone, daughter of ex-Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone, on ‘Billionaires’ Row’ in Palace Green, Kensington, west London in December just before last Christmas.
Emil-Bogdan Savastru, 29, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court accused of conspiracy to burgle between November 30 and this February, and having custody or control of counterfeit currency. He appeared in court alongside his mother Maria Mester, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and a charge of concealing criminal property
It follows a £50million raid on the home of Ms Ecclestone, daughter of ex-Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone, on ‘Billionaires’ Row’ in Palace Green, Kensington, west London in December just before last Christmas. A £300,000 pair of diamond earrings and a Louis Vuitton bag were among the haul, which also included currency, jewellery and watches, with the stolen items estimated to be worth a total of £50million
Savastru appeared in court alongside his mother, Maria Mester, who heard proceedings from HMP Bronzefield using an Italian interpreter.
Romanian cleaner Mester, 47, has previously pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and a charge of concealing criminal property.
Police were called to Ms Ecclestone’s address by security on December 13.
A £300,000 pair of diamond earrings and a Louis Vuitton bag were among the haul, which also included currency, jewellery and watches, with the stolen items estimated to be worth a total of £50million.
Mester was allegedly wearing £300,000 18-carat diamond jewels identical to those stolen from the 36-year-old heiress when police swooped as she flew into Stansted Airport on January 31 from Italy, where she lives.
Most of the £50million of stolen property has never been recovered.
Mester allegedly stole jewellery from Ms Ecclestone, pictured with husband Jay Rutland
Judge Simon Davis told Savastru and Mester they are next due in court on August 6.
The burglary happened as Ms Ecclestone, the daughter of former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, left the country for her Christmas holiday with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter Sophia.
Ms Ecclestone was said to have been left ‘shaken’ by the raid on her hidden safes at the 55-room property near Hyde Park, where neighbours include Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the Sultan of Brunei.
The Duke and Duchess’s Kensington Palace residence is one road from Ms Ecclestone’s mansion.
Ms Ecclestone, her husband Jay and daughter have shared photos of the luxury mansion on social media in the past, and featured it on their ITVbe reality show.