Fraudacious – Episode Five: The Windfall

Podcast: Fraudacious
Host: Novel in association with BBC Studios
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode delves into the unraveling of Ekaterina Barrett’s carefully constructed illusion of wealth and trust. After borrowing over £1.6 million from boutique owner Bridget Hutchcroft, Ekaterina refuses to repay, triggering a transnational hunt for justice. The episode weaves high society glamor, secretive offshore dealings, and courtroom drama, as journalist Vicki Baker and Bridget uncover the tangled origins of Ekaterina’s riches and bring her to the edge of prison.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Surreal Encounter Before Court

• Setting: Harvey Nichols beauty department, London, July 30, 2024
• Bridget and Ekaterina, due in court against each other a few hours later, have an accidental run-in during beauty treatments.
  • Bridget: "I'm sitting there getting ready and I'm thinking, I know that voice." (02:20)
  • Ekaterina attempts to physically comfort/hypnotize Bridget, unnerving her friends with fears of renewed manipulation.
  • The court will shortly rule on whether Ekaterina lied under oath, with jail time at stake.

2. Tracing Ekaterina’s Hidden Fortune

• Bombshell disclosure: Bridget’s friend Roger uncovers a 2011 High Court judgment showing Ekaterina winning €62 million from Belgian steel heir Leo Lomart.

  • Roger: "You're very welcome to see the judgment. She got that in the British High Court." (05:22)
  • Document scrutiny reveals the funds were ordered from Lomart to "Lovelace Group," an opaque BVI company where Ekaterina later became director.

• Shady Company Structures

  • Roger: "She's very good at that maneuver. She worked around companies a lot. That was her sort of modus operandi." (07:23)
  • Bridget’s lawyer, Philip Barden, is shocked by the judgment’s irregular features — rapid admission of debt, minimal interest, and lack of clear context.
    • Quote: "I have never seen anybody start a piece of litigation by saying, yeah, absolutely, I admit that I owe it, I'll pay it. Why on earth would you do that?" (09:37)

• The Leo Lomart Connection

  • Interviews with a Dutch source reveal Lomart’s financial collapse and deep trust in Ekaterina, who promised him high-level jobs and helped drain his fortune.
  • Key manipulation: Photoshopped images of Ekaterina with Roman Abramovich circulated to amplify her perceived connections.
    • Bridget: "There was a photo of Ekaterina and Abramovich... But it's fake." (17:50)
  • Source: "He was promised he would be the new director of Lukoil in the Netherlands. He went around telling everyone." (17:15)
  • By 2022, Lomart had died destitute, but evidence showed Ekaterina maneuvered to become sole beneficiary of his Monaco apartment via Shepard and Sons.

3. A Battle on Multiple Legal Fronts

• Back to High Court: July 30, 2024, Bridget faces Ekaterina for a contempt hearing, alleging perjury and asset concealment regarding the Monaco apartment.
  • Bridget’s determined stance: "I work for everything I've got, ever since the age of 15. So I'm not gonna let some rich woman take my money off me." (25:37)

a. Faked Settlements and the Casino Gambit

• Ekaterina introduces surprise "settlement agreements," including an alleged agreement from Monaco halving her debt to Bridget—complete with falsified signatures and recycled old photographs.
  • Bridget: "She said she had my autograph, not my art, photographs of my signature." (27:40)
  • Judge ultimately rules the signature is a forgery: "She's sure it's a forgery. The judge also says Ekaterina deliberately lied on oath about the ownership of the Monaco apartment." (33:11)
• Court tension peaks when Ekaterina submits a salon selfie as supposed proof of a new settlement, which the judge promptly rejects.
  • Bridget: "It was like, that is just unbelievable." (30:39)
  • Judge’s dismissal: "The picture shows women are not speaking to each other. They're not even facing each other..." (32:55)

b. Contempt Verdict & Immediate Aftermath

• The judge finds Ekaterina guilty of contempt, forgery, and perjury to the criminal standard.
  • Dramatic moment: Court officers arrive with handcuffs, preparations for jail are visible, but sentencing is adjourned for further mitigation.
  • Bridget: "I feel satisfied. I feel very good. I feel I've won." (34:56)
  • Roger (contrasting note): "Disappointment... not happy. Very frustrating." (35:18)

c. Sentencing Twist

• Two weeks later: The court delivers a suspended four-month sentence, conditional on Ekaterina paying £100,000 and legal costs.
  • Roger: "The whisper around the courtroom was that it was going to be two years." (37:39)
  • Ekaterina is jubilant, but neither £100,000 nor the original £1.6m debt to Bridget is paid by 2025, risking further jail for non-compliance.
  • Bridget: "She won. I mean, she didn't win, but she's got away with it... with all her shenanigans." (38:33)

4. The Monaco Showdown: Shepard and Sons

• In 2025, Ekaterina is again in court — this time in Monaco — as administrators for Shepard and Sons, the company holding the Monaco apartment, attempt to seize and auction it after mortgage defaults.
  • French journalist Ocianne Zitteny reports:
    • "Barrett is still occupying one of the flats... She's basically squatting... The apartment is completely run down... multiple dogs living there... once valued at over 17 million euro, now down to 8 million euros because of its condition and lack of access." (43:33)
  • The company, now bankrupt, calls for other creditors — including Bridget — to make claims, but priorities remain unclear as many victims line up.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bridget on the reality of scam victims:
  • "I know to a lot of people the fact I even had a million and I gave it away makes me sound as if I'm sort of posh. But I'm not... So I'm not gonna let some rich woman take my money off me." (25:42)
• Roger on Ekaterina’s tactics:
  • "She'll probably produce a whole load of doctor's letters saying that she died last week or something as crazy as that." (35:35)
• Leona Hamid on courtroom drama:
  • "One of the first things the judge says is, I've seen the email. I presume you've seen it... There's suddenly a lot of whispering around the courtroom." (30:11)
• French court lawyer on the state of the Monaco apartment:
  • "Excuse my language, your honor, but this is a total mess. It's a mess. A bordel in French." (44:05)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:29 – Opening at Harvey Nichols, Bridget’s beauty treatment and unexpected encounter with Ekaterina
• 05:22 – Discovery of the 62 million euro judgment and its questionable nature
• 15:03 – Dutch source reveals deeper manipulation of Leo Lomart
• 23:04 – Uncovering the Monaco apartment’s connection to Ekaterina’s fortune
• 25:02 – High Court, London: Start of contempt hearing, Bridget’s testimony
• 27:00 – Alleged forged settlement agreement emerges
• 30:11 – Dramatic courtroom twist: further “photo evidence” and judge’s skepticism
• 33:11 – Judge finds Ekaterina guilty of contempt and forgery
• 37:39 – Sentencing: four months suspended sentence with payment conditions
• 41:24 – Journalist Ocianne Zitteny covers Monaco court battle over Shepard and Sons
• 43:33 – Barrage of evidence about poor conditions in Monaco apartment, bankruptcy, and cascading debts

Episode Tone & Style

• The episode maintains a crisp, investigative tone, highlighting both the grim realities and absurdities of high-society fraud.
• Bridget's resilience is matched by Roger’s world-weary skepticism; Vicki Baker’s narration bridges incredulity with methodical reporting.
• Courtroom moments swing from tense and dramatic to farcical, illuminating a world where illusion, charm, and legal maneuvering can upend lives.

Closing Thoughts

The Windfall exposes the fragile façade of vast wealth: despite international intrigue and ostentatious displays, money can vanish as quickly as trust. The episode ends with Bridget refusing to give up hope and a hint that accountability — and perhaps justice — might still be on the horizon, especially as even more creditors and legal battles over the Monaco apartment emerge.

For more details and investigation, listen to the full episode or visit Novel Audio and BBC Studios.