Four men who raided the London home of celebrity chef Marcus Wareing have been sentenced to jail. Two of the gang, it transpires, already had a number of outstanding arrest warrants for crimes committed in their home country, including violent robbery and gun possession. The other two also have previous criminal records.
In October of last year, the gang broke into the MasterChef star’s home in Wimbledon, making off with £33,000 worth of valuables. Among the haul were a number of Wareing’s watches, including two Omega watches, a gold Rolex and another watch engraved with ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ – a nod to Wareing’s time spent cooking under Gordon Ramsay, who he famously had a falling out with.
Wareing’s wife Jane also had her valuables stolen, including a £1,500 Cartier bracelet, a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a locket containing sentimental pictures of her father.
Speaking after the incident, Wareing told The Times: "In some ways I wish they’d come back so I could wait up for the f***ers.", before adding "I didn’t think I cared about the stuff in my sock drawer. But when it disappeared, I really felt it."
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The dining room at Marcus at The Berkeley
Danko Carvajal-Donaire, 20, Claudio Donoso, 20, Nicolas Portilla Astorga, 27, and Jorge Rojas, 22, admitted conspiring together to trespass with intent to steal when they appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday. They each received a jail sentence of 40 months.
It is believed the Chilean natives flew to the UK with the intention of targeting wealthy homes and the court case revealed that the burglars had branded a fence outside of Mr Wareing’s home with small orange dots to help them remember which house they planned to target.
The foursome’s car was stopped by police four days after the incident, and a search of the vehicle revealed a glass-breaking tool alongside a screwdriver, torches and gloves. Photographs advertising the sale of the jewels, as well as pictures of the thieves wearing the stolen goods, were also discovered.
Wareing is well-known for his appearances on MasterChef, as well as for his restaurants Marcus at The Berkeley, Tredwell’s and The Gilbert Scott. Speaking about the court ruling, he said he was “pleased that the men have been caught” and also thanked the Met Police on behalf of his family for “making us feel safe and secure again in our home”.
In other restaurant news, ASK Italian has been fined £40k for misleading diners.