A woman has denied involvement in an audacious "Ocean's Eleven-style" £4.2 million diamond heist at Mayfair jewellers Boodles.
Georgeta Danila, 52, was allegedly part of a crew of thieves who targeted the luxury store on New Bond Street in March 2016, stealing seven jewels from under the noses of staff.
In the heist, which has been likened to a scam from movie Ocean’s Eleven, the diamonds were taken and replaced with pebbles when Boodles believed a sale was about to take place.
Staff did not realise the diamonds - including a heart-shaped jewel worth £2.2 million - had been switched until the thieves had left the country.
The heist is believed to be the single biggest theft from a shop in British criminal history
A tearful Danila appeared in the dock at Southwark crown court this morning, pleading not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to steal.
Wearing a blue fleece, brown top and black trousers, the defendant listened to proceedings through a French interpreter, having lived in France for the last three decades. The court was told she would prefer a Romanian interpreter for future hearings.
Judge Martin Griffith told Danila to return to court for another hearing on September 1, but conceded he does not know when her trial will take place.
“Things are up in the air,” he said, referring to the impact of coronavirus on the justice system.
Danila, who has no fixed address in the UK, was remanded in custody and denies the charge of conspiracy to steal.
