Champagne heist was inside job
- Created on Monday, 27 February 2012 18:22
A manager at the Moet Hennessey drinks giant purloined champagne and vodka amounting in value to £75,000 by siphoning off spare bottles provided for corporate tasting promotions.
Frenchman Romain Brunot, 30, was the brand manager for Krug champagne, a major Moet Hennessey product. As such, he was responsible for organising corporate events and ordering the drink.
Over a period of four years, he helped himself to 400 bottles of vintage Krug and another 400 bottles of Belvedere vodka.
To cover his tracks, he rented a wine cellar in east London where he initially stored the alcohol until he transferred it to a stage unit which he managed to register in a friend’s name.
He also laid a trail of false purchase orders directing scores of bottles to be sent from the producers of the champagne to the wine merchant Davy’s and from there placing them in his own collection.
Moet executives eventually contacted Davy’s asking them to explain its numerous orders, leaving the way for the deception to be unveiled. It is understood police swooped on the two secret locations and managed to recover around £50,000 of stolen champagne and vodka.
Brunot, from Pimlico, was jailed for 15 months at Southwark Crown Court and ordered to pay £25,000 in compensation.
