Crime tourists jetted in from Chile for raid on TV Marcus
A GANG of South American “burglary tourists” ransacked the £5million home of TV chef Marcus Wareing – after orange dots were painted on his fence to mark the target.
The thieves stole jewellery and watches worth tens of thousands of pounds and later posed for pictures wearing some of it.
The four men flew in from Chile days before raiding the MasterChef judge’s home in Wimbledon, south-west London.
Three orange circles were sprayed on his rear fence to guide them to the right house.
A judge warned wealthy home owners to be on the alert for similar markings as he jailed each defendant for three years and four months at Kingston Crown Court.
Captured
Wareing, a protege of Gordon Ramsay, and his wife Jane were victims of a trend involving South American gangs jetting to Britain to rob affluent homes before flying back.
The burglars were captured four days after the raid as they were on their way to a new target in affluent Banstead, in Surrey. Mum-of-three Mrs Wareing said the breakin last October was “deeply upsetting.”
She lost a £1,500 Cartier watch, a £520 pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a locket with pictures of her family.
Her husband, 49, lost a gold Rolex, two Omega watches worth more than £12,000, and another engraved Hell’s Kitchen.
The value of stolen items and damage to the home was said to be £33,000.The family were away when the thieves smashed their way into the master bedroom through firstfloor patio doors.
“Their possession had been strung out all over the floor,” said Christiaan Moll, prosecuting. “There had been an untidy search.”
Jorge Rojas, 22, Nicolas Astorga, 27, Danko Carvajal-Donaire and Claudio Donoso, both 20, admitted conspiracy to burgle and going equipped to steal.
Rojas was wearing a pendant belonging to Mrs Wareing when he was caught and police found a selfie of Carvajal-Donaire and Astorga posing with some of the jewellery.
Judge Jonathan Davies told them: “No one here or abroad should be under an illusion the somehow the UK is a soft touch. Each of you came with one purpose – crime.”
The gang are likely to be deported to Chile at the end of the their sentences.
Wareing said: “The police made us feel safe and secure again in our home and were utterly brilliant.”