Socialite James Stunt met King Charles III at his royal residence, a court hears

The former son-in-law of F1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone is one of eight defendants on trial over alleged involvement in a multi-million pound money laundering ring

(Lee McLean/SWNS)

Bernie Ecclestone’s former son-in-law who is accused of involvement in a £266m money laundering ring met King Charles III at his royal residence, a court heard.

Bankrupt former billionaire James Stunt, 40, has gone on trial alongside seven other defendants accused of hiding vast fortunes at a gold dealer.

The scheme – labelled as “Britain’s biggest ever money-laundering scam” – involved millions in “bags of cash” being delivered to the firm Fowler Oldfield.

During the second day of his testimony, defence counsel Mr Richard Fisher KC showed the jury at Leeds Cloth Hall Court pictures of Stunt with the former Prince of Wales.

And Stunt said he also knew ex-prime ministers David Cameron “intimately”, after claiming Wednesday he was a regular visitor at his luxury Mayfair office.

Stunt also denied his personal secretary had helped him purchase an Andy Warhol painting by illegally “forging” his name on UK banking documents.

The dad of three told the court that he didn’t have an email address and referred to himself as a “phone terrorist” due to how often he would call people in his inner circle.

And he said his ex-wife Petra Ecclestone joked she was the “richest PA in the world” due to how frequently she helped him to dictate emails using her personal account.

Speaking about the photos of himself and the then Prince of Wales, snapped between 2014 and 2016, Stunt said: “It was either taken at Clarence House or St James Palace.

“There is more than one photo of me and His Majesty, formally the Prince of Wales.

“They were never taken at any other residents. I have visited Buckingham Palace and other residences, but they are the only two they can be.

He added about David Cameron: “I knew the PM intimately. I knew Mr Cameron very well before he was prime minister.”

The court heard that Stunt, who faces a forgery charge, was in the process of buying a £320,000 Andy Warhol painting when he suffered a tennis injury in Los Angeles.

The socialite, who said he played at county level during his youth before finding “other vices”, was taken to Mt Sinai hospital and injected with morphine, on 9 February 2015.

He said: “It was the first time I have ever tried morphine. I got jabbed in an IV. I was living at my marital house in Los Angeles. I was carried off on a stretcher.

“I was feeling on a cloud. I vomited, but it was a wonderful feeling.”

During his brief stint in the £15,000-a-day clinic, Stunt said executives at City National Bank in the US told him he didn’t have enough money to purchase the pricey artwork.

His defence counsel then read a transcription of a text Stunt sent to his secretary, Ms Sota, asking her to “forge” his signature on UK bank documents to allow a transfer.

Mr Fisher read: “Sorry to call so late, was in hospital. I made a payment. My bank is saying I need to sign something, meaning they have not made them.

“Please forge my signature first thing in the morning. Get Lee or witness it yourself, please this must be signed and emailed to the relevant parties. Thank you x.”

Stunt, who claimed he was “bang on the morphine” during this period, said he had meant to use the phrase “forge” in a different context.

He said: “Forge can mean forge a friendship. I could forge a friendship with you your honour, or Mr Clarke, make a friendship. I didn’t mean a forgery.

“Please make a signature in my name. I thought it was part of her PP duties. I did send that message.”

He added: “Bernie Ecclestone, my father-in-law, had lots of prominent businesses I know, they all have stamps with their own signatures on it. I thought Ms Sota had full authority.”

Stunt also revealed he didn’t have an email address and was known as the “Phone terrorist” as he would call up his employees at all times of the day and night.

He added: “My nickname was the phone terrorist. I used to talk to people at all hours.

“I dictated my emails to her [Petra] because I’m dyslexic. She joked to me, she said I’m the richest PA in the world… Petra wrote them for me. She had a smartphone.

“There are no secrets in the House of Ecclestone. There was nothing to hide.”

The court also heard how the defendant’s company, Stunt Acquisitions, had bought a metal refinery in Sheffield, where he hoped to turn scrap “duré gold” into sellable bars.

Stunt said he poured “millions” into the project – along with “tens of thousands on stationary” – and claimed he had refused to take illegally sourced gold from Africa.

He said he was “proud” when the then business secretary Vince Cable personally signed off the deal for the industrial complex, which later became part of a criminal investigation.

And Stunt, who said he knew little of the day-to-day workings of the business, vowed to get back into the gold industry, regardless of if his name was cleared during the trial.

He said: “You don’t throw more money into a bent operation. I kept fighting, the police made it impossible.

“I will get back into the gold business if I’m acquitted of this trial, even if an innocent man is found guilty. I will not be restricted. I’ve done nothing wrong and I think this is unacceptable.”

The trial continues.