Prince Andrew’s accuser has vowed to ‘destroy’ him and depart him penniless.
Virginia Roberts ‘believes Andrew ought to go to jail however leaving him broke and destroyed could also be sufficient,’ a supply near her authorized staff mentioned final night time.
The astonishing feedback observe a devastating week that noticed the Duke of York stripped of his Royal and navy titles by the Queen after a New York decide dominated the civil intercourse abuse case towards him will go forward.
Virginia Roberts ‘believes Andrew (each pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell) ought to go to jail however leaving him broke and destroyed could also be sufficient,’ a supply near her authorized staff mentioned
Throughout one other day of fast-moving developments:
- A stony-faced Andrew was noticed leaving his Royal Lodge residence in Windsor with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson;
- The Duke’s staff filed authorized papers demanding to talk to his accuser’s husband and her psychiatrist;
- Legal professionals for Ms Roberts – whose married title is Giuffre – mentioned they need to grill the Duke’s former equerry, a retired lieutenant colonel;
- A girl who claims she noticed Andrew and Ms Roberts dancing at London nightclub Tramp may even be quizzed underneath oath about whether or not she noticed him sweating.
A authorized supply near Ms Roberts’s staff yesterday mentioned she is decided to ‘wreck’ the Prince as a result of she is so offended at his ‘smug’ behaviour.
She claims that she was compelled to sleep with the Prince on three events by US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted intercourse trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell – the primary time when she was 17 and underneath the authorized age of consent underneath New York regulation.
Andrew has at all times vehemently denied the accusations.
A supply near Ms Roberts mentioned: ‘Nobody can imagine how badly Andrew and his authorized staff have tousled. His conceitedness is what has destroyed him.
‘It’s Virginia’s agency perception that Andrew ought to go to jail for what he is achieved however ultimately leaving him broke and destroyed could also be sufficient. He’s already destroyed.
‘Now it is a matter of how a lot cash he gives [in a settlement] and the way broke we depart him.’
Andrew has vowed to battle the case as a personal citizen. On Friday night time, his attorneys submitted formal calls for to the New York court docket to interview underneath oath each Ms Roberts’s husband, Robert Giuffre, and her psychiatrist, Dr Judith Lightfoot in Australia.
Courtroom paperwork filed by the Duke’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, have argued that Ms Roberts ‘could undergo from false recollections’ and accused her of creating up claims towards Andrew ‘to deflect from her personal participation in Epstein’s intercourse trafficking scheme’.
Mr Brettler needs to grill Mr Giuffre about his spouse’s ‘function in recruiting and trafficking underage women for Epstein’ in addition to her claims towards Andrew. He additionally needs to forensically look at the couple’s monetary information.
The Duke’s staff need Dr Lightfoot to show over all information about Ms Roberts’s psychological well being, information of prescription treatment and notes about ‘plaintiff’s alleged emotional and psychological hurt’ and ‘idea of false recollections’.
In separate filings on Friday, Ms Roberts’s attorneys mentioned they intend to query – or depose – the Duke’s former equerry Robert Olney, an ex-Military Air Corps officer who’s Head of Security and Enterprise Supply on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Ms Roberts (pictured with authorized staff) claims she was compelled to sleep with the Prince on three events by US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted intercourse trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell
Mr Olney was appointed as Andrew’s equerry in September 2002 – the yr after Ms Roberts claims she was allegedly compelled to have intercourse with the Duke – however his title appeared in Epstein’s notorious ‘little black e-book’ of contacts and he accompanied Andrew on journeys across the globe earlier than stepping down in 2004.
Ms Roberts’s attorneys plan to quiz him about Andrew’s journey to and from New York and ‘any of Epstein’s houses’.
The paperwork state that Mr Olney’s testimony ought to be obtained by April 29, both in individual or by video convention.
Ms Roberts’s attorneys additionally need to discuss to Shukri Walker, a Somali-born girl who lives in London who claims she noticed Andrew and Ms Roberts dancing collectively on the well-known Tramp nightclub.
Ms Roberts has claimed the Prince was ‘sweating throughout me’ as they danced and alleges that they had intercourse later that night time after they returned to Maxwell’s residence.
Andrew claims he can’t sweat due to an harm suffered within the Falklands Warfare.
The civil lawsuit is about to be financially ruinous for Andrew. His authorized payments are mentioned to have reached £2 million and there are stories he could provide to settle the case earlier than it reaches court docket for as much as £10 million.
He may obtain some cash from the sale of a ski chalet he purchased in Verbier, Switzerland, 5 years in the past. It’s understood {that a} sum near its £17.6 million asking worth has been agreed.
The Mail on Sunday additionally understands that Andrew may face a heavier tax invoice for his residence Royal Lodge after dropping using his HRH title as he would not qualify for tax aid.
The supply near Ms Roberts’s authorized staff mentioned: ‘If there’s a settlement it must be a giant, huge quantity. Prince Andrew was supplied the possibility to open negotiations earlier than the civil swimsuit was filed however his attorneys ignored all our letters within the hope it might go away.
‘Virginia needs her day in court docket however, in fact, any case will be settled for a wide range of causes. Andrew has ruined himself by way of his conceitedness.’
The Duke is predicted to be deposed for as much as seven hours by lawyer David Boies in London in February.
Final night time, he mentioned: ‘I sit up for having the ability to query Prince Andrew underneath oath.’
Andrew’s camp had feared that each the Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice may very well be deposed, however sources now counsel that this was unlikely.
Warfare hero who served in Northern Eire is tipped to exchange Prince Andrew and lead Trooping the Color on this yr’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
By Charlotte Griffiths for the Mail On Sunday
A former Colonel of the Grenadier Guards could come out of retirement to exchange Prince Andrew and lead Trooping the Color as a key a part of this yr’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Lieutenant Basic Sir George Norton is favorite to exchange the Duke of York who was final week stripped of all his navy titles.
‘The planning is that George Norton will are available in for the brief time period,’ mentioned a navy supply.
‘With restricted time earlier than the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, which begins with Trooping the Color on June 2, the function requires somebody of stature and expertise.’
Lieutenant Basic Sir George Norton (pictured) is known to be favorite to exchange the Duke of York, who was final week stripped of all his navy titles, to steer Trooping the Color
In an extended and distinguished profession, Sir George, 59, served 4 instances in Northern Eire and was awarded the MBE for operational service in Bosnia.
He subsequently grew to become Commanding Officer of the celebrated Grenadiers earlier than serving thrice in Afghanistan, receiving the US Meritorious Honor Award and a Queen’s Commendation for Worthwhile Service.
However it’s his familiarity with Trooping the Color and ceremonial process which are actually extremely prized.
Appointed Main Basic Commanding the Family Division in 2011, he had a key function within the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the next yr.
Sir George retired from the Military in 2019 to turn out to be Commandant of the Royal Faculty of Defence Research.
Now he may take centre stage on the Jubilee, alongside the Prince of Wales, Colonel of the Welsh Guards; Prince William, Colonel of the Irish Guards; Princess Anne, Colonel of the Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Kent, Colonel of the Scots Guards.
Sir George’s function is more likely to final just for the Jubilee.
‘In some unspecified time in the future within the not-too distant future, one other Royal will probably be appointed Colonel of the Grenadiers and is more likely to be both the Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Edward or his spouse, Sophie,’ the supply mentioned.