Ecclestone burglary trial: Jurors not to be 'unfairly prejudiced'

Maria Mester denies conspiracy to burgle and money laundering charges

Jurors in the trial of four people accused of being part of a £26m burglary plot have been told not to be "unfairly prejudiced" by evidence that one of the suspects is an escort.

Judge Martin Edmunds QC issued the warning to the jury ahead of closing speeches at Isleworth Crown Court.

Maria Mester is accused of conspiracy to burgle the west London homes of three celebrities - including Tamara Ecclestone.

The 47-year-old denies the 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 Ms 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

The trial has heard Ms Mester 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.

In evidence she admitted to travelling 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.

Jurors heard Emil Bogdan Savastru sent photos of diamonds to his flatmate

In his legal directions to the 11 jurors, Judge Edmunds said: "In the course of the case we have heard that Mester worked as an escort.

"You may or may not approve of that, but ensure that it does not unfairly prejudice you when you are considering her case."

Ms Mester's childhood friend Sorin Marcovici, 53, and hotel concierge Alexandru Stan, 49, deny all charges, including conspiracy to burgle.

Ms Mester and Mr Savastru also deny conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The trial continues.