Tamara Ecclestone's ex-lover arrested over claim he stole her gems and tried to sell them - after court battle over the Lamborghini he kept in wake of their split

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An ex-boyfriend of Tamara Ecclestone spoke of his shock last night after he was arrested over claims he stole ‘sentimental’ jewellery from the heiress and then tried to sell it.

Businessman Omar Khyami, 40, whose two-and-a-half year relationship with the wealthy socialite ended in acrimony in 2012, was detained after theft allegations were made to police this week.

According to Miss Ecclestone, 29, the items were given to her by her billionaire father Bernie, the Formula One boss.

An ex-boyfriend of Tamara Ecclestone - businessman Omar Khyami - spoke of his shock last night after he was arrested over claims he stole 'sentimental' jewellery from the heiress and then tried to sell it. The two are pictured together in May 2012

She says she went to police after a ‘third party’ contacted her this week, saying jewellery allegedly belonging to her was being offered for sale by her ex-boyfriend.

The theft claims follow a recent High Court ruling that Miss Ecclestone was wrong to try to reclaim a £380,000 Lamborghini supercar she gave to Mr Khyami, as a present, when they were dating.

She was told to pay more than £20,000 in compensation to two car companies which were prevented from selling the vehicle while the case was ongoing.

A judge said that the wrangling over the Lamborghini Aventador had ‘caused everyone far more trouble than it is worth’.

Now Miss Ecclestone is at loggerheads with Mr Khyami again over jewellery. The model, who split from Mr Khyami after he cheated on her, says he had no right to have the items.

A spokesman for Miss Ecclestone, who married former City stockbroker Jay Rutland last summer, told the Daily Mail last night: ‘On Monday June 9 a concerned third party contacted us regarding jewellery purportedly belonging to Ms Ecclestone that was being sold by Omar Khyami.

A spokesman for Miss Ecclestone, who married former City stockbroker Jay Rutland (both pictured, above) last summer, told the Daily Mail last night: 'On Monday June 9 a concerned third party contacted us regarding jewellery purportedly belonging to Ms Ecclestone that was being sold by Omar Khyami'

‘These were sentimental pieces of jewellery, gifted to Tamara by her father. Ms Ecclestone is now assisting police with their inquiries.’

At his flat overlooking Hyde Park, Mr Khyami – who was arrested after agreeing to attend a police station in West London on Wednesday – told the Mail: ‘I haven’t been with Tamara for two years.

‘A lot of the jewellery we had together, she constantly changes her mind on whose it is. I was called by the police and asked to come for questioning about the theft of £8,000 of jewellery. There were no handcuffs – they just said, “Someone has made an allegation and we have to follow it up”.

‘It was only a small piece of jewellery, not a watch or anything.

‘I don’t want to hurt her. It’s two years since we’ve been together and I don’t know what she wants.’

According to Miss Ecclestone, 29, the items were given to her by her billionaire father Bernie, the Formula One boss

The dispute comes five months after the row over the Lamborghini reached the High Court.

Miss Ecclestone gave the car to Mr Khyami on his 38th birthday in April 2012, but when they broke up three months later she claimed it belonged to her.

Mr Khyami had used the car to secure a loan from a company called Elite Performance Cars Ltd in connection with a white Bentley which he bought Miss Ecclestone for Christmas in 2011.

In April 2013, bailiffs acting on behalf of Elite seized the car from a garage where Miss Ecclestone was having it serviced.

The firm sold the vehicle to Ansol Trading Ltd, which apparently arranged to sell it on to a buyer in Turkey until the heiress obtained a High Court injunction stopping the sale on the grounds that she had never actually given the Lamborghini to Mr Khyami.

Speaking in 2012, after she split from Mr Khyami following her discovery that he had featured in a sex tape, Miss Ecclestone said she did not regret the romance.

She said: ‘I did have a lucky escape. Definitely. I don’t regret the relationship, I’m the kind of person who wants to fix people sometimes, and that’s not really a healthy way to be. People have to want to change for themselves.’

In February of last year, another of her former boyfriends was jailed for four years for plotting to blackmail her for £200,000.

Derek Rose, 33, who dated her in 2002, was involved in a plot in which it was claimed he was approached to sell his story to a tabloid newspaper.

Rose was included in an email mentioning the possibility of discussing ‘a non-release fee’ and signing a confidentiality contract.

Southwark Crown Court in London heard that he had dated Miss Ecclestone when she was 17.

The blackmail arose from an email sent in November 2011 to her manager after the model had starred in Billion Dollar Girl, a reality TV programme exploring her life as a rich young person.

The email claimed Rose had been offered £200,000 to sell his story to a tabloid, despite no newspaper having made such an offer.

Asked about Mr Khyami’s arrest, Scotland Yard said last night: ‘On Wednesday June 11, officers arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of the theft of jewellery from an address in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

‘The man was taken into custody and since bailed to return on a date in July.’

Today Tamara Ecclestone said in a statement: 'It's incredibly sad that Omar feels that he can offer for sale sentimental items from me, items which he knew were not every day pieces.

'There is no logical reason why he could think that two female pieces of jewellery, one even with my name engraved on it could ever be his.

'I will continue to assist the police in their investigation.'

A friend added: ‘We all thought he was out of her life after the trial, it's an ugly reminder of their past relationship. 

'These were personal items, priceless gifts from her dad regardless of the value. Tamara was really upset that her dad has had to identify the pieces.’

• We have been informed that the Crown Prosecution Service has decided to discontinue the theft charge brought against Mr Khyami following his arrest.