26/11/2010
NEWS STORY
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was mugged outside the London headquarters of his F1 empire last night.
It is understood that up to four people were involved in the attack, having hidden outside the building in Prices Gate in which Ecclestone has a penthouse apartment.
The 80-year-old, who was accompanied by his 31-year-old Brazilian girlfriend, Fabiana Flosi, was kicked and punched during the attack, his assailants making off with jewellery thought to be worth £200,000.
Scotland Yard later confirmed that Ecclestone was taken to a west London hospital for treatment for a head wound but was subsequently discharged. Indeed, a few hours later he was back his desk working.
"There were no reports of any other injuries," said the police in a statement. "The items stolen are believed to be a quantity of jewellery."
This is not the first time that Ecclestone has been mugged in London. Four years ago he was mugged as he parked his Mercedes Benz CLS55 AMG outside Chelsea Square mansion.
Several years earlier, Ecclestone fought off a number of muggers who had attempted to takes his and his wife's Rolex watches, a prevalent crime at the time. The would-be thieves escaping empty handed.
Ironically, earlier this month, following a spate of robberies and attempted robberies over the course of the Brazilian GP weekend, Ecclestone had little sympathy for the victim of one of the attacks, Jenson Button.
"They look for victims, they look for anyone that looks like a soft touch and not too bright," he said at the time. "The people that look a bit soft and simple, they will always have a go at."
Thing is, with Bernie's money and his connections - at all levels of society - one wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the Knightsbridge 4.