Former bodyguard denies stealing £515,000 diamond
A FORMER bodyguard to the ex-husband of Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone has denied stealing a diamond worth more than half a million pounds from him, a court has heard.
Justinas Ivaskevicius, 34, is accused of taking the 16.18-carat fancy yellow cut cornered precious gem from a safe in the Belgravia home of art dealer James Stunt in December 2017, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.
The piece was bought by a Bond Street jeweller and eventually made its way to New York via a gem lab in the Belgian city of Antwerp, prosecutor Malachy Pakenham told the court.
The alleged theft took place just months after
Stunt, 38, split from Ecclestone, the daughter of former Formula One tycoon Bernie, in an acrimonious divorce after six years of marriage.
Lithuanian-British dual national Ivaskevicius, of Fallowfield, Cambridge, appeared at court by video link from custody and denied stealing the gem.
He pleaded not guilty to one count of theft from the person of another, namely a diamond worth £515,000 belonging to Stunt, and one count of acquiring, using or possessing criminal property, namely tens of thousands of pounds in cash, on or before May 28, this year.
Ivaskevicius was remanded in custody and the case was sent to Southwark Crown Court for his first appearance on June 26.
Stunt and socialite Ecclestone married in 2011 at a multi-millionpound ceremony at Odescalchi Castle, Rome, when they and 350 guests were entertained by an array of pop stars.
The couple have three children together.