Bentley-driving fraudster Barrett unmasked as jailed in Monaco after years on the run

Swindler Ekaterina Barrett was regularly spotted sweeping through London’s wealthiest postcodes in a Bentley, dressed head-to-toe in Gucci, and walking her beloved Italian greyhounds.

But after defrauding her best friend, she appeared to vanish without a trace — until her trail was finally uncovered.

After years of explosive High Court battles, allegations of fraud, forged documents and unpaid debts worth more than £1.6million – nobody seemed to know where the elusive 70-year-old was.

Not even the woman still fighting to get her money back.

But when Sun reporter Bruno Brown sat down with determined shop owner Bridget Hutchcroft and her close friend Roger Slater inside her Pandora Dress Agency in Knightsbridge, the hunt for answers began.

Surrounded by rails of designer fashion just a stone’s throw from Harrods, one question kept cropping up. Where was the runaway heiress?

Bridget had spent years battling Barrett through the courts after claiming she had failed to pay back a loan of over £1million that Bridget had lent her to get through a costly divorce.

In 2022, the High Court ruled in her favour, finding Barrett owed her a total of £1.6million, including interest and costs, obtained through fraudulent misrepresentation.

Yet despite the judgement, the cash never arrived.

The legal saga became even more extraordinary in 2024 when Barrett was handed a suspended prison sentence after lying under oath and relying on forged documents during court proceedings.

And after this – she appeared to vanish.

The mystery deepened when sources told us they hadn’t heard from her in “some time” – and she had been “offline” on social media.

Monaco seemed to be her most likely location as she was known to have lived there in a plush apartment worth 22million euros.

But equally, amid the ghostly silence, rumours swirled that she was living in Liechtenstein, in the Alps – where those close to her say she has a vast fortune in a family trust fund.

In addition, sources claimed Barrett owned property in Israel too.

But our investigation hit a brick wall when we discovered she was in none of these locations and even the Monaco apartment linked to Barrett was empty. So WHERE on earth was she?

With a new spanner in the works, we went on the hunt.

Finally we had breakthrough with rumours circulating that she’d reached out to friends to tell them she was in prison after her dog had bitten a member of the public.

Armed with this clue, we contacted Monaco’s Palace of Justice, who after some pressing, revealed the truth.

The runaway heiress had not been hiding in a luxury apartment overlooking the Mediterranean – she was behind bars – though NOT because her beloved hound had bitten somebody.

We discovered that Barrett, 70, was caged in Monaco after being convicted of breach of trust, fraud and theft.

Officials at Monaco’s Palace of Justice confirmed she was sentenced to six months imprisonment on February 27 and remains in custody.

The offences had nothing to do with Bridget’s long-running legal battle.

Instead, they painted a remarkable picture of the downfall of a woman who once projected an image of immense wealth.

Court officials said Barrett pocketed €1,550 handed to her by a woman to purchase a healthinsurance policy that was never bought.

They added she was also convicted of fraud after conning another victim out of more than €11,000 by claiming she was selling a luxury Hermès handbag.

Authorities said Barrett accepted the money despite never having the designer bag.

When questioned, she falsely claimed the handbag was being held at an auction house.

Monaco authorities also found Barrett guilty of stealing a designer dress worth €2,900 from an Yves Saint Laurent boutique.

The offences ultimately landed her in Monaco’s Maison d’Arrêt prison – known as the “five star” jail.

The jail, perched high above the Mediterranean near Prince Albert’s palace, is often described as one of the world’s most picturesque prisons because of its stunning sea views.

For Bridget and Roger, the revelation finally answered the question that had lingered for years.

“We have all been asking where she was and what had happened to her,” Roger told.

“Bridget just wants justice and she wants her money back after everything she has been through.

“It has been years and years of fighting.”

The discovery marked the end of months of speculation surrounding one of Britain’s most elusive socialites.

For Bridget, however, the real battle continues.

Despite the court victories and Barrett’s imprisonment, the £1.6million awarded by the courts remains outstanding.

The extraordinary story that began with dog walks, designer dresses and promises of repayment is far from over.