British mum-of-three Natali Ray, 57, distracted the owner of a posh restaurant in the US while her accomplice, who successfully fled the scene, stole several bottles of wine worth £31,00016:30, 19 May 2026CCTV captures British woman’s audacious theft of wine from Virginia restaurant A British mum who stole £31,000 worth of wine from a high-end US restaurant could be free in just a few months after she returned two stolen bottles.‌Natali Ray, a former guest house owner from Herne Bay, Kent, distracted the co-owner of L’Auberge Provençale in Virginia while her accomplice, Nikola Krndija, 57, ventured into the wine cellar and slipped several bottles of expensive wine into the pockets of his large coat. The pair had told the restaurateur they were event planners during the "planned out heist" last November, while video footage shows them wearing wigs in a bid to disguise their identity.‌Krndija fled the scene and has not been seen since after catching a flight to Austria, but Ray was captured in the car park. She pleaded guilty to grand larceny, possession of burglary tools and defrauding a restaurant or inn.‌READ MORE: Outrage as council 'does a Sycamore Gap' and chops down beloved tree used for logoREAD MORE: Wife 'beheaded husband with axe before feeding his genitals to their dogs'Ray, 57, had faced a maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars - but is now set to be released in just six months after having all but one year of her term suspended in a hearing on Monday. Ray, who has been in custody for the last six months, is already regarded as having served half of the sentence and is likely to be deported back to Britain once released.If she is not sent back to the UK, divorced mum-of-three Ray will be under probation in the community for 10 years.‌During the trial at Clarke Circuit Court, it emerged that two of the bottles had been handed back in the months that followed the heist, including a prized pinot noir valued at $24,000 (£17,000), and another worth $7,000 (£5,200).But the restaurant’s owners argued that these wines had lost much of their value, as they were not stored properly while missing.‌Matthew Bass, Clarke County commonwealth’s attorney, described the theft as nothing short of a "planned out heist", telling the court: "They parked the car down the road, they wore disguises."They called ahead. They knew what they were after."Article continues belowCeleste Borel, co-owner of L’Auberge Provençale, spoke of her disappointment at Ray's sentence, telling local newspaper The Winchester Star: "It really makes you question the judicial system."Nobody’s getting a cellar tour again unless I happen to know them extremely well already."