London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

Celebrity burglary trial: Woman arrested wearing Ecclestone earrings

Celebrity burglary trial: Woman arrested wearing Ecclestone earrings

A woman linked to burglaries on three celebrities' homes was wearing Tamara Ecclestone's rose gold earrings when she was arrested, a court has heard.

The socialite lost jewellery worth about £25m in the raid last December - including the £3,000 Noa earrings.

Bodycam footage shown to Isleworth Crown Court showed Maria Mester sporting the high-end accessories when she was detained at Stansted Airport.

She denies conspiracy to burgle and money laundering.

The court heard Ms Mester, 47, and her 30-year-old son Emil Bogdan Savastru were part of a "support cast" in the plot, which also targeted Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and former Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

A group of burglars - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is said to have committed the raids.

Ms Ecclestone's home was hit just hours after she, her husband, her daughter and dog, left the UK on 13 December for a Christmas holiday in Lapland.

Prosecutor Timothy Cray QC told jurors the earrings were among nearly 400 items" taken from Ms Ecclestone's "Vault room" and specially commissioned jewellery cabinet.

Ms Mester was stopped at Stansted Airport on 31 January and confronted about the earrings in police interview.

She declined to comment and strenuously denied involvement in any burglaries, instead complimenting a detective on his "lovely blue eyes", the court heard.

When shown photos of her making transactions at Harrods and leaving Heathrow Airport for Belgrade five days after Ms Ecclestone's home was hit, Ms Mester answered no comment, adding that she "travels a lot".


The homes of Frank and Christine Lampard, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and Tamara Ecclestone and her husband were all broken into last December


Mr Cray told the court Ms Ecclestone's was the third target in a series of raids - with the first being Frank and Christine Lampard's home on 1 December.

An intruder alarm was activated as two rose gold ladies watches, a set of gold cufflinks, a white gold Cartier pocket watch and a Mia Lia gold necklace, worth a total of about £60,000, were taken.

On 10 December, Mr Cray said, two burglars "ransacked" Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's Knightsbridge home, which had remained untouched since his death in 2018.

Seven Patek Philippe watches - with a combined value of approximately £600,000 - and €400,000 in cash were taken, the court heard.

The raiders also took a collection of Thai Buddha pendants and a Tag Heuer smartwatch worth £1,500.

Mr Cray said Mr Savastru had been wearing the same watch when he was arrested at Heathrow airport on 30 January - a day before his mother was apprehended.

He was also in possession of a Louis Vuitton bag bought by Ms Ecclestone's husband Jay Rutland in 2011, the court heard.

Mr Savastru's flatmate, Gergo Munzenreider, said he was told a Louis Vuitton bag in his room was a gift from friends.

Ms Mester and Mr Savastru are accused alongside Alexandru Stan, 49, and Sorin Marcovici, 52.

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
Bayeux Tapestry Draws Large Crowds at British Museum
Cuts to International Aid Raise Concerns Over Fragile Overseas Health Systems
UK Airlines and Logistics Operators Adjust Capacity as Fuel Costs Rise
UK Mortgage Arrears Edge Lower in Second Quarter
UK Government Advances New Devolution Offers for English Councils
UK Parliament Begins Debate on NHS Governance and Single Patient Record Reforms
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North Devolution Initiative
UK Parliament Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults
UK Bans Goods From Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Technology Services Strengthen
Metropolitan Police Continue Investigation Into Reform UK Political Financing
Chinese Crypto Entrepreneur Leon Li Identified as Seller of £190 Million London Mansion
Trades Union Congress Proposes Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Surcharge
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for State Pension Triple Lock to Be Scrapped
Anthropic Says Claude Helped Disrupt Biological Weapons and Cyber Espionage Threats
UK Imposes Sanctions Over Israeli Settlements and West Bank Violence
UK Reimposes Sectoral Sanctions on Iran’s Aviation, Shipping and Energy Networks
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as AI and Programming Services Lift Activity
×