London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Ecclestone burglary trial: Escort denies jewel heist plot

Ecclestone burglary trial: Escort denies jewel heist plot

A woman accused of helping burglars steal goods worth £26m from three celebrities' homes has told a court she was a "simple escort" and not a professional thief.

Maria Mester denied any involvement in the series of raids which saw burglars steal lavish property over 13 days last December.

She described herself as a "stupid chicken" and not a thief.

Ms Mester also denies money laundering charges.

The court was previously told that she, her son Emil Bogdan Savastru, and two other men were part of a plot to target the homes of Tamara Ecclestone and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and a house owned by the family of former Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Four other men, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are alleged to have carried out the raids between 1 and 13 December.


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


Ms Mester, 47, was arrested at Stansted Airport wearing Ms Ecclestone's jewellery and said she only returned to London from Milan because she heard her son had been detained at Heathrow Airport the previous day.

The court heard Ms Mester travelled around the world for "wealthy clients" in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Belarus, but found herself in Orpington, south-east London, last December, with one of the alleged burglars for €6,000.

Ms Mester denied being in love with the man and said she only introduced her son to the alleged burglar in case he wanted to move to London.

She said Mr Savastru only found out about her international sex work as a result of this trial.

'Not rocket science'


Under cross-examination at Isleworth Crown Court, prosecutor Paul Jarvis said the group of burglars were using the apartment in Orpington as "a base". He asked Ms Mester why they would "want an innocent person" to spend a week there.

Ms Mester replied: "He invited me to be his escort, not to participate (in the burglaries).

"I came here as an escort. I didn't come here to watch them, I didn't come here to babysit them. It's not rocket science.

"A man who wants to have fun does not entrust an escort with his life, his personal details, his information.

"Orpington was not an ugly place, it has a shopping centre, restaurant and everything. I had no reason to be bothered."


Jay Rutland, Tamara Ecclestone and their daughter had left for Lapland on the morning of the £25m burglary


She described herself and her son as "two victims" of the burglaries.

Mr Jarvis told Ms Mester she was "more than just an escort", to which the defendant replied: "No, I was a simple escort, please prove to me I wasn't."

The prosecutor continued: "You were perfectly happy to help plan and commit these burglaries, weren't you?"

Giving evidence through an interpreter Ms Mester replied: "That's what you say. Is that the reason why I returned wearing those earrings when I was arrested?

"You're talking here about professionals, I am just a stupid chicken."

Ms Mester, Mr Savastru, 30, and two other defendants, Alexandru Stan, 49, and Sorin Marcovici, 53, deny conspiracy to burgle.

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×