NINE minders for Ecclestone girl’s former husband after ‘£90m burglary’ at his home
HE claims a £90million haul of gold and diamonds has been stolen from his home in Britain’s biggest ever burglary.
And so billionaire James Stunt was taking kryut no chances with his security on Saturday – employing no less than nine bodyguards to accompany him on a night out with a glamorous companion in Mayfair. r.
The ex-husband of Petra Ecclestone was as still wearing his wedding ring as he left Italian an restaurant C London, clutching a wad ad of banknotes.
Mr Stunt, 36, told police that thieves had ad emptied the safe in the basement of his Georr- gian townhouse in Belgravia last month while he slept upstairs. Cash, gold and diamond jewellery worth up to £90million was stolen in the raid, according to the Sun on Sunday newspaper.
Mr Stunt, who divorced Formula One heiress Miss Ecclestone in a bitter court battle last year, was said to be devastated at the theft, which happened just a fortnight after his belongings were seen being moved into the townhouse.
A source told the newspaper that Mr Stunt initially suspected he was the victim of an ‘inside job’ as there were no obvious signs of a break-in. Police, however, believe it was a burglary.
Mr Stunt has a team of security men and domestic staff including a butler, but had not yet installed a high- tech CCTV system at the house.
‘James had only been in the house a short while and did not have time to get CCTV installed,’ a source told the newspaper:
‘ Police were apparently surprised there were no cameras anywhere inside the house. He is devastated by the loss. It’s a lot of money even for him – though luckily he’s insured.’ Mr Stunt, however, has said he was not insured for every item taken. Police confirmed they were investigating the burglary, but refused to comment on what had been taken, or its value. They are understood to have examined CCTV footage from cameras outside nearby houses as part of their investigation. A man in his 20s was arrested last month but has been released while investigations continue. Once police confirm the amount taken, the £90million Stunt raid would be Britain’s biggest heist. In 2006, £53.1million was stolen from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent. In 2009 thieves got away with £40million of treasures from Graff Jewellers with the same amount taken from the Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Centre in 1987. And in 2015, a team of veteran burglars stole £25million of gems and jewellery from safety deposit boxes in London’s Hatton Garden.
Mr Stunt and Miss Ecclestone, 29, divorced in October but have yet to agree a settlement over their £5.5billion joint fortune.
Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter took out a court injunction to force her ex to leave their £68million Grade II-listed mansion in Chelsea. The pair, who have three children, married in a £12million ceremony in 2011.
Last night a Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers were called to the Belgravia house on December 14 ‘by a man reporting the burglary of jewellery’.
‘The police investigation is being led by officers from the Flying Squad,’ he said. ‘A man, aged in his 20s, was arrested in December 2017 in connection with the investigation. He has been released under investigation.’
The Flying Squad investigates armed robberies and high-value thefts. In 2000 its officers foiled a diamond raid on the Millennium Dome, when a gang attempted to steal the £200million Millennium Star diamond.