A hotel concierge accused of helping burglars raid Frank Lampard’s home said he thought the thieves were builders who wanted to move to the UK.
Romanian Alexandru Stan, 49, was allegedly one of the ‘support team’ for the thieves who travelled from Italy to break into the homes of celebrities’ and steal £26m in jewellery and cash.
Stan, along with prostitute Maria Mester, 47, her son Emile-Bogdan Savastru, 30, and security worker Sorin Marcovici, 53, all deny involvement in the three raids.
Burglars struck gold in the last of the three burglaries, stealing £25m in valuables and cash from Tamara Ecclestone’s 57-room ‘Billionaire’s Row’ mansion in Kensington on 13 December.
Three days earlier the thieves had made off with jewellery worth £600,000 and Euro 400,000 in cash, from the Knightsbridge home of late Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
The burglars had made off with £50,000 worth of valuables from the Chelsea home Frank Lampard shares with television presenter Christine Lampard on December 1.
Stolen from the master bedroom were a rose gold ladies RG Nautilus Patek Philippe watch, a rose gold ladies Rolex Datejust watch, a pair of white gold Patek Philippe cufflinks, a white gold men’s Cartier pocket watch and a Mia Lia gold necklace.
Around £50,000 worth of valuables went from the home of Frank and Christine Lampard
Stan said he was introduced to two of the alleged burglars by his friend Vaduva.
His barrister David Jeremy asked: ‘How was it that you all came to be together on that Sunday?’
Stan told jurors: ‘So if I remember well on the day before we spoke on the phone, me and Vaduva.
‘We spoke on the phone because normally when we don’t see each other.
‘He said listen, somebody sent me two friends from Italy, they try to renew their life here in London because in Italy construction is not working.
‘One of them also said he was a plumber or something. He said that he wanted to start a company because the money good here.’
Burglars stole jewellery from Tamara Ecclestone, pictured with husband Jay Rutland
The heist at Ms Ecclestone’s house (above) took place on ‘Billionaire’s Row’ in Kensington
‘He tell me I gonna meet them, maybe they will need you, you will make £100 or £200.
‘He came to pick me up. I never drive, I never have a licence. We want to Victoria to meet these two people
‘Mr Vaduva said he knew a place where often (Arsenal player) Mezut Ozil goes to eat kebabs.
‘I didn’t pay much attention to what they were saying.
‘Vaduva ask me to help them buy a car, not expensive. Vaduva said that he can’t help them because he’s very busy.’
They gave Stan 1,500 euros in three 500 euro notes and asked him to buy a car.
Maria Mester, 47, is accused of being one of the ‘support team’ for the burglars who had travelled from Italy to break into the celebrities’ homes last December. Pictured, Mester wearing a rainbow coloured gold necklace allegedly stolen from Tamara Ecclestone
Mester and her son Emile-Bogdan Savastru, 30, were filmed on CCTV with the alleged raiders in the days before and after the Ecclestone raid at her £70million mansion near Hyde Park
Mester denies conspiracy to commit burglary and concealing criminal property
‘I was looking at the money, I was thinking make £100-£200, come Christmas I’m giving a present to my children,’ Stan added.
‘I knew that I had nothing in common with these people.’
Stan said he returned home, showed his flatmate the cash and told his flatmate “We’re gonna make some tips’.
The concierge said he didn’t think any legal problems would come back to him, that it was normal to help people when they moved to a new country.
He told jurors he grew up poor in Romania and moved around Europe for a better life after the Nicolae Ceausescu government fell in 1989.
He moved to London in 2019 and began working as a night porter at Holiday Inn Express, London City in August.
In November he began working as a concierge and luggage porter at Crowne Plaza London King’s Cross hotel in November.
The same month he applied for a business studies foundation year course, as he wanted to become a hotel manager and make his children proud.
Mester is said to have been ‘inseparable’ from the alleged burglars and Marcovici is accused of assisting them by driving them to Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s property.
Mester, of no fixed address, denies three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary and concealing criminal property.
Savastru, of Wyllen Close, Bethnal Green, denies two counts of conspiracy to burgle and attempting to remove criminal property.
Marcovici, of Dagenham Road, Romford, and Stan, of Constable Gardens, Harrow, deny conspiracy to burgle.
The trial continues.