Celebrity stylist Faces Trial For Stealing

 

A celebrity stylist who stole more than £30,000 worth of gems from Mick Jagger's jewellery designer daughter is today facing jail.

Ojuri 'Charles' Adesanya, 29, pocketed the bespoke jewellery from Jade Jagger after claiming it would be used for a bogus fashion shoot in women's magazine, Harpers Bazaar China.

Adesanya used the same ruse to dupe aristocratic designer Celia Weinstock into handing over more than £143,000 of jewels, using a forged letter from a previous genuine commission from the fashion magazine to secure the handmade gems.

Adesanya, whose clients include boy band JLS and Golden Globe winning actress Jessica Chastain, swindled jewellery worth a total of £367,949 - including £129,700 from Frost of London; £55,835 from EC1 Jewellers, and £8,555 from designer Kristjan Eyjolfsson.

He then pawned the items for a fraction of their value in a bid to clear mounting debts, Southwark Crown Court heard.

He appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court today smartly dressed in a black suit and tie and spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty to five counts of fraud and four further counts of theft.

The scam took place between August 6 2013 and May 7 2013.

A further fraud count in relation to procurement of a £3,000 suit from top designer Alexander McQueen, using the same method, is likely to be left on the court file.

Adesanya, from Chafford Hundred, Grays, Essex, had initially denied the charges and had been due to stand trial in May.

Adjourning sentencing for reports, Judge Alistair McCreath released Adesanya on bail but warned him that all options were open when he returned for sentencing on 28 July.

On his website, Adesanya boasts of being a 'cutting edge stylist' who jet-sets between New York, Paris, London and Los Angeles.

lso listed among his clients are Petra Ecclestone, Camilla Alves, the model wife of actor Matthew McConaughey; DJ Nick Grimshaw and Grey's Anatomy star, Jesse Williams.

Adesanya has also styled musicians including The Voice star Vince Kidd and singer/songwriter Patrick Wolf.

Prosecutor Nina Ellin told the court: 'The defendant was working as a stylist in the fashion industry.

'The letter relates to jewellery being borrowed for a particular photoshoot for a particular commission of the magazine.

'There was no photoshoot that was legislation in the context of this indictment.

'He had cash flow difficulties and decided to pawn some of the goods.  He accepts that in doing so he was acting dishonestly.'

Adesanya eventually returned some of the jewellery six months later - but only after being urged to by a judge, Ms Ellin said.  Ms Weinstock has since received £82,000 worth of the missing gems.

Defending, Charles Royle said: 'He found himself in difficulties and made poor choices.

'He perhaps hasn't had the most sensible reaction, he has rather hidden away from his problems.'