BMW Heiress' Lover Regrets Blackmailing Her

PASSAU, Germany, March 9, 2009— -- The former lover of Germany's richest woman admitted in court today that he bilked her out of millions of dollars and apologized to her and other women he is accused of bedding and then blackmailing.

Helg Sgarbi, 43, was promptly sentenced to six years in prison shortly after his Munich trial began today on charges that he seduced and then swindled BMW heiress Susanne Klatten out of nearly $10 million.

At the beginning of the trial Sgarbi's lawyer read a full confession by his client, in which he pleaded guiltyto all the accusations against him.

After his lawyer's statement Sgarbi then rose and told the court he regretted what he'd done and he apologized to the women.

Klatten, his most prominent victim, was not in court today.

In August 2007, Klatten, 46, a married mother of three teenagers, fell for Sgarbi, whom she had met at the famous spa retreat Lanserhof, a hangout for the rich and famous in Tirol, Austria, Munich's daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported today.

Little did she know that her lover reportedly had an Italian accomplice named Ernano Barretta, 63, who was secretly filming their meetings from a hotel room next door and was planning to use the footage to blackmail her.

The publicity-shy heiress filed charges against her former lover in January, according to Munich state prosecution spokesman Anton Winkler.

Sgarbi is alleged to have not only blackmailed her but also other wealthy German, Austrian and Swiss women.

The affair between Klatten and Sgarbi reportedly lasted for about two months in the summer of 2007, during which time Sgarbi persuaded Klatten to pay almost $10 million with a tale about having caused a tragic car accident that involved the child of a mafia boss who was demanding a payoff, according to prosecutors.

But Sgarbi then demanded millions more and threatened to publish some photos that were taken during their affair if Klatten did not pay, according to media reports. The heiress instead abruptly ended the relationship.