A housekeeping supervisor at The Connaught had £182,000 worth of cash, jewellery and other valuables, which had been stolen from guests the famous 5-star Mayfair hotel in her Ilford flat, a court heard yesterday.
The Connaught
Graziela Camacho, 30, admits taking some of the guests’ property, but not the rest, which was in such quantities police could not carry all of it away when they raided her home in the early hours.
Notable guests at the landmark hotel include Princess Grace of Monaco; Lauren Bacall; Cary Grant; David Niven; Eric Clapton and Charles de Gaulle.
At Southwark Crown Court Camacho, of Valentines House, Ilford Hill has pleaded not guilty to acquiring criminal property, namely high-value items and cash on April 3, 2019.
However, she has already pleaded guilty to seven counts of stealing from individual overseas guests, who had money and jewellery stolen while staying there.
She claims the rest of the property seized by police, including cash made up of 43 different currencies, is hers, including $31,000 belong to her mother and her own €5,000.
Camacho admits stealing a £31,500 wedding eternity ring and £18,000 diamond bangle belonging to New Yorker Gloria Nakash, who had worn them at a Paris wedding then put them under her hotel room bed.
She also admits taking Bahrain guest Hashim Al-Khalifa’s £7,000 Rolex watch, which he left in a locked suitcase, but later found the zip had been tampered with.
A Canadian guest, Nicole Swartz, had her diamond earrings, which she left in the bathroom snatched by Camacho.
The housekeeper was even caught red-handed by one Brazilian family, the Duarte’s, who found her hiding in their room.
“She was crouching on the bathroom floor and a fifty pound note was beside her,” said prosecutor Kemi Fapohunda. “She left, straightening some pictures on the way out and the family later found £1500 missing from their locked suitcase.”
Another American guest, Natalie Ramu, lost her valuable sovereign pendant necklace, given to her by her grandmother. “It was in a jewellery bag in the sitting area and then no longer where she left it.”
Guest Sarah Lomer had a pair of diamond earrings she left in a Tiffany box on her bedside table, stolen by Camacho.
The counts she pleaded guilty to reflect stolen items found during the police search.
The hotel cancelled their security chief’s holiday and called him in after the spate of thefts to conduct an in-house sting, involving cash being deliberately left in a guest room monitored by CCTV.
Only Camacho, out of all the staff, took two £50 notes and she was immediately suspended on April 3, 2019 and the police called.
Two officers visited her address in the early hours of April 4. “They were not prepared for what they found,” said the prosecutor.
“They found the Rolex watch, a vast quantity of jewellery, earrings, necklaces, rings, designer bags, shoes and a large quantity of cash.
“The officers did not take everything, only what they could carry with them,” added Ms Fapohunda.
Checks with HMRC revealed her mother had no obvious income and Camacho herself, just her Connaught salary, plus child tax credits, which amounted to £26,000.
“Large sums of cash were paid into her account as well.”
Staff logs at the hotel show Camacho as the worker assigned to rooms, where guests reported further losses of cash and property.
“She was the staff member who would have gone to their rooms,” said the prosecutor.
Trial continues…………..
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