Billionaire playboy James Stunt victim of record-breaking £90m burglary
Devastated former husband of Petra Ecclestone's home was 'cleaned out' by thieves who made off with cash, gold and gems as he slept
PETRA Ecclestone’s ex-husband James Stunt has told cops he has been robbed of cash, gold and gems worth £90million in Britain’s biggest burglary.
The billionaire playboy, 35, is said to have woken to find the safe at his Georgian house in London’s Belgravia cleaned out.
Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt could break the record books with their divorce settlement
The raiders who struck just months after his bitter divorce from the Formula One heiress were last night being hunted by Scotland Yard’s Flying Squad.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “James had only been in the house a short while and did not have time to get CCTV installed.
Police were apparently surprised there were no cameras anywhere inside the house.
“He is devastated by the loss. It’s a lot of money even for him — though luckily he’s insured.”
The previous biggest burglary was the 2015 raid on safety deposit boxes by the Hatton Garden blaggers, who fled with £25million.
Bullion dealer James’s safe was said to have been in the basement of the house he moved into after his split from F1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter.
They had been wed for six years.
The couple have since been warring over their joint fortune, which is said to be £5.5billion.
Their marriage was officially ended in October.
He also allegedly tried to punch him before storming out of court.
Detectives have been hunting the Belgravia burglars for more than a month after James reported the robbery on December 14.
They are believed to have scoured CCTV from nearby homes in the posh area of the capital, where houses cost around £20million.
James, who has a team of up to five security men plus domestic staff including a butler, at first suspected the theft was an inside job.
The source said: “There did not appear to be any evidence of a break-in. But police now think it was a burglary.”
A man in his 20s who cops arrested last month has been released as inquiries continue.
Friends have said James is still reeling after his divorce.
Among those who have been comforting him is his godfather Terry Adams, 63 — an ex-jailbird and boss of a North London crime gang.
Police last night declined to give a list of the items the burglars took.
The source said: “There was gold, diamond jewellery and cash worth up to £90million. All of it was gone.”
Scotland Yard confirmed: “The police investigation is being led by officers from the Flying Squad.”