Michael Winner's ex-lover jailed for robbing his widow Published duration 27 September 2019

image copyright Met Police image caption Gurgana Gueorguieva was jailed for robbery

A former lover of film director Michael Winner has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years for a violent robbery against his widow.

Geraldine Winner, now 81, was robbed of at least £100,000 worth of jewellery, art and cash during the raid at her Knightsbridge home on 9 October 2015.

Mrs Winner suffered head injuries and a broken finger during the attack in which she was bound and blindfolded.

Gurgana Gueorguieva had admitted aggravated burglary.

However, she said Mrs Winner's injuries were caused in self-defence.

image copyright Met Police image caption Mrs Winner suffered head injuries during the three-hour ordeal

In July, Gueorguieva, 48, of Holland Park, admitted one count of robbery , but said the injuries suffered by Mrs Winner were accidental and caused while trying to calm her.

She denied bringing a weapon to intentionally injure her or taking 20,000 euros, prompting a fact-finding hearing at Southwark Crown Court.

But on Friday Judge Peter Testar ruled Gueorguieva took the money, but could not be sure that she brought the iron bar to the scene.

He found that she did not "gratuitously" cause Mrs Winner pain.

The court heard Gueorguieva had spent two years preparing for the offence including following Mrs Winner home, researching the building and listening to her conversations.

Gueorguieva had been in a relationship with Mr Winner between 1999 and 2002 and admitted she "disliked" Mrs Winner who married him in 2011.

image copyright PA Media image caption Geraldine Winner, a former dancer, married Michael in 2011 but was widowed in January 2013

Mrs Winner was taking rubbish out when she was bundled back inside her house by Gueorguieva.

The widow told the court previously that she was hit between three or four times with her own kettle.

After stealing items including framed photos of Mr Winner, Gueorguieva fled without removing cable-tie restraints from Mrs Winner, who managed to free herself using a pair of scissors.

Prosecutor Mark Gadsden said: "The primary motive was to get revenge by taking items of sentimental value, but there was a secondary motive to make money from it."

image copyright Met Police image caption Mrs Winner was tied up and struck with a kettle from her kitchen