A quirky new friend changed everything—then chaos followed

Ekaterina Barrett was a well-known figure in Mayfair and Monaco, two of Europe's most exclusive neighborhoods. She was seen as a multi-millionaire who enjoyed high fashion, often sporting bold designer outfits while walking her Italian greyhounds. Her life revolved around luxury, with frequent visits to casinos and high-end boutiques. However, behind the glamorous facade, many people who knew her described her as manipulative and dangerous.

One such person is Bridget Hutchcroft, a British shop owner who claims she was defrauded by Barrett. Hutchcroft, who is owed over £1.6 million, says that Barrett had a way of getting people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. “She was like a snake,” she says. Over the years, Hutchcroft has pursued Barrett in several countries, including Lichtenstein, Austria, Monaco, and Israel, but the debt remains unpaid. Now, it seems that Barrett’s extravagant lifestyle is beginning to fall apart.

The conflict between Hutchcroft and Barrett began with what seemed like a simple favor: dog-sitting. Hutchcroft runs a second-hand designer clothes shop called Pandora Dress Agency in Knightsbridge, London. The store is known for its eclectic mix of Chanel and Dior handbags, as well as crystal-embellished heels. She took over the business in the late 1980s and worked hard to build it into a successful enterprise.

In 2017, Barrett was an occasional customer at the shop. At first, they barely spoke. But Barrett had a commanding presence, according to Sona Patel, the shop manager. “She was very bossy,” Patel says. The two women met properly when Barrett needed help looking after her dogs while she went to Harrods. Hutchcroft offered to help, and soon found herself making regular trips to Barrett’s Mayfair apartment to take care of the dogs.

For Hutchcroft, this time spent with Barrett felt like therapy. She was recovering from a breakdown and had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She began spending more time with Barrett, who seemed to enjoy playing the VIP role in fashion houses and members’ clubs. “It was like being at the theatre — I wanted to know what would happen next,” Hutchcroft recalls.

Things took a strange turn three months after their first meeting. Hutchcroft says she found Barrett sobbing uncontrollably, claiming that the man who managed her business affairs had died suddenly. Barrett asked for a short-term loan due to a temporary cash flow issue. At first, Hutchcroft agreed to help, but the requests kept coming.

Barrett became increasingly desperate, pleading and begging for more money. During this time, Hutchcroft was struggling with episodes of mania and depression. “She creates havoc around you,” she says. Eventually, she gave in and lent Barrett more than £1 million — money that was meant for her grandson’s education, tax bills, and retirement.

After an intervention from friends and as her mental health improved, Hutchcroft realized how much she had given away. She reported the situation to the police, but they said it was a civil matter. So she hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit.

Hutchcroft, who grew up in a working-class household in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, was determined not to let Barrett take her money. “I worked for everything I’ve got since the age of 15,” she says. “So I’m not gonna let some rich woman take my money off me.”

Barrett responded with a countersuit, claiming that Hutchcroft actually owed her money and calling the allegations “vexatious.” In court papers, she claimed she wasn’t aware of the extent of Hutchcroft’s mental health issues at the time.

After years of legal battles, the two women reached an out-of-court settlement in 2021. Barrett agreed to pay £1 million plus interest, but failed to follow through. In 2022, the High Court issued a final judgment, raising the debt to £1.6 million. Hutchcroft received only one payment of £100,000 before Barrett disappeared.

In July 2024, the two women faced each other again in London’s High Court. Barrett arrived wearing a designer dress with a hood she pulled up and down dramatically during the proceedings. Hutchcroft hoped this hearing would finally end their legal battle. “I think she’s gonna be given a prison sentence,” she says.

Barrett was facing new charges of forgery and perjury. The judge handed her a four-month suspended sentence for lying under oath and submitting fake documents, including forging Hutchcroft’s signature. She was also ordered to pay a £100,000 fine, which remains unpaid.

In March of last year, I learned that Barrett was facing another court case in Monaco. She had been charged with stealing a pair of Balenciaga boots from a luxury store in Monte Carlo. According to the prosecution, CCTV footage showed her entering the fitting room with the expensive boots and exiting saying they didn’t fit. Her bag was covered with her scarf, and the boots were never found in the fitting room.

Barrett’s lawyer argued there was no proof of theft and that she could afford the boots. However, she was found guilty and fined €5,000. She is appealing the conviction.

Another charge involved stealing €1,550 from an acquaintance’s bag at the Hotel Metropole. Barrett denied the theft, but the bag’s owner, a personal stylist, said she had not given permission. Barrett was also found guilty and fined €5,000.

Multiple creditors are now chasing Barrett for unpaid debts, including another former friend who successfully sued her in Liechtenstein for £2.7 million. With so many legal cases, I decided to visit Monte Carlo to see if Barrett would answer any questions.

Her apartment doesn’t look particularly luxurious from the outside. It’s located just off the seafront, in a 10-story building with mirrored windows that reflect the sun. The area is known as the Golden Square, near the Monte Carlo Casino, where rows of neon Lamborghinis are parked outside.

Barrett is known to be a gambler, or at least she was. She was described as “notorious” in Mayfair’s private casinos by workers. I saw her red hair through the bushes surrounding the apartment complex. She came out dressed in white lace and a large sunhat, holding the arm of a woman in a black uniform.

“No interviews,” she barked, threatening to call the police. When I later sent her a full list of allegations via email, she replied: “The information gathered appears to rely on false and misleading information provided by hostile or malicious parties whose objective is to damage my reputation.”

Back in London, more than eight years after their first meeting, Hutchcroft remains determined to recover some of her money. She is now trying to force the sale of a property Barrett is believed to own in Israel. It remains unclear whether Barrett is out of funds or simply refusing to pay.

“I think somewhere along the line she has got a pot of gold and she knows never must she talk about it,” Hutchcroft says. “I can’t believe she’s ran herself to the wire and that she’s got nothing but what’s in her pockets.”