Tamara Ecclestone burglary: Man admits full role in £26m celebrity heists

An Italian man has pleaded guilty to all charges relating to a £26m series of burglaries that targeted the luxury homes of celebrities in west London.

Jugoslav Jovanovic previously admitted to conspiring to burgle the homes of Frank Lampard, F1 heiress Tamara Ecclestone and the family of the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, in 2019.

Jovanovic was due to go on trial at Isleworth Crown Court over conspiracy to launder stolen goods out of the UK.

He has now changed his plea to guilty.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the £25m burglary alone on Ms Ecclestone's Kensington mansion was believed to be the biggest of its kind in English legal history.

Andrew Hadik said the international gang of jewellery thieves took "irreplaceable items of sentimental value that have never been seen again".

He added: "Jovanovic used his spoils to go shopping at Harrods and had even opened a store loyalty card."

It was previously heard in court that on 30 November 2019, Jovanovic, along with an accomplice named Daniel Vukovic, travelled to London Stansted from Stockholm and then set up a hotel base in Orpington.

The next day the pair burgled the west London home of Lampard and his wife Christine while the couple were out. the court was told.

Prosecutors said an intruder alarm was triggered but more than £50,000 worth of items were stolen.

Then on 10 December, a Knightsbridge property belonging to the late billionaire Leicester City owner Mr Srivaddhanaprabha was burgled, the court heard.

Mr Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium in October 2018 and his family said the home had been left untouched since his death.

The court heard Jovanovic, Mr Vukovic, and two other Italians - Alessandro Donati and Alessandro Maltese - ransacked the home taking seven Patek Philippe watches, a Tag Heuer smart watch and around €400,000 in cash.

The following day, the group dined at an expensive sushi restaurant near Harrods and had a £760 champagne and sashimi lunch, the court heard.

Finally, on 13 December, Mr Vukovic, Maltese and Donati carried out one of the biggest burglaries in English legal history, the prosecution said.

Armed with screw drivers, they targeted the palatial home that F1 heiress Ms Ecclestone shares with her husband Jay Rutland - opposite Kensington Palace, the court was told.

Kensington Palace Gardens is one of the most expensive streets in the world, has an armed guard presence and is home to the Russian, French and Israeli embassies.

Jovanovic remained the 'watch' at the bottom of the road, outside the nearby Stick & Bowl Chinese restaurant.

He left the UK onboard an AirItalia flight from London City Airport to Milan Linate Airport on 18 December, the court heard.

The 24-year-old, who was living in Milan, was extradited from Italy to the UK in April to face legal proceedings.

Italian nationals Donati, 44, and Maltese, 45, both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle.

All three will be sentenced on 15 November and have been remanded into custody.

Mr Vukovic 40, has never been located and is believed to be in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

Det Con Andrew Payne said specialist police looked through 2,000 hours of video footage.

He added: "We also recognise that for those targeted, this is not simply about having their possessions stolen.

"Being a victim of burglary, whoever you are, is traumatic and upsetting and everyone should have the right to feel safe in their own homes."