Tamara Ecclestone: Mother and son charged over £50m jewellery heist at heiress’s London home
Items taken included precious rings, earrings, and Cartier bangle worth £80,000
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A mother and son have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary in relation to a £50 million jewellery raid on heiress Tamara Ecclestone’s home in London.
Cleaner and housemaid Maria Mester, 47, and Emil-Bogdan Savastru, 29, have both been charged and remain in custody until their appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning.
Police said a 21-year-old man who was arrested at Stansted Airport with Mr Mester on Friday has been released under investigation.
Another 31-year-old man who was arrested in east London on Thursday has also been released.
Mr Savastru, a bartender, was detained at Heathrow Airport on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering.
On 13 December, all of Ms Ecclestone’s jewellery was reportedly stolen from her home in Palace Green, Kensington.
Items taken included precious rings, earrings, and a Cartier bangle worth £80,000 gifted to her from husband Jay Rutland as a wedding present.
Ms Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, and Mr Rutland were away on their Christmas holidays at the time of the burglary.
A spokesman for Ms Ecclestone said after the home invasion: “Tamara and family are well but obviously angry and shaken by the incident.”
Additional reporting by agencies