Sir Walter Gavin Gilbey pictured outside court, where he denies assault
The aristocrat heir to a world-famous gin company allegedly ‘attacked’ his 95-year-old mother and ‘snapped her walking stick into pieces’ after a furious argument.
Sir Walter Gavin Gilbey is said to have ‘violently pulled’ his mother Lady Elizabeth Gilbey from a chair ‘causing bruising as she fell to the floor’ at her home in Pulborough, Sussex on August 26 last year.
The Eton-educated 68-year-old, the 4th Baronet of The Gilbey Baronetcy, has denied assault, telling Horsham Magistrates’ Court his mother was ‘in the process of assaulting him’.
Lady Elizabeth Gilbey, who shares her home of twenty years with her 86 year-old housekeeper, told the court it was approaching 5.30pm when her son assaulted her.
‘I was sitting on my sofa in my little sitting-room, reading. He came into the room, we had an argument and he came back into the room with a rather menacing look on his face.
‘I raised my stick to defend myself and he has mentioned that I hit him, which I never did, I don’t even hit my dog.
‘He snatched the stick from me and broke it into five pieces. He grabbed my arm and flung me on the floor and I landed on my face.
‘I tried to get up again and he just stood over me. I was so scared I ran into the neighbour’s house for protection.
‘The hearing aid was in my ear and when I hit the floor it came out of my ear and shot under the stove.
‘I went to my bedroom and barricaded the door with a lot of chairs and went to bed. He pushed the barricade of chairs and came into the bedroom.’
Sir Walter is also alleged to have snapped his mother’s walking stick into ‘several pieces over his knee before violently lifting her up, causing her to fall heavily to the floor’, the court heard today.
Sir Walter lost Power of Attorney in 2014 and his lawyer Mr. Blandford suggested: ‘You and your daughter Camilla have put your heads together to ensure he is out of the picture and Camilla has control of the estate.’
He lost POA after an enquiry by the office of Public Guardian, and prosecutor Miss Burrows asked: ‘Is the defendant so incensed that POA was removed he’s gone out of him way to portray his mother as someone losing her memory, losing her marbles.’
Lady Gilbey said it was nothing to do with her daughter and also dismissed her GP’s evidence of a history of falls. ‘I’ve never fallen. The only falls I’ve had is when he yanked me out of the chair and flung me on the floor.’
She said ‘hatred’ was too strong a word to describe her son and daughter’s relationship: ‘Maybe dislike. She’s with me now, she’s a very dutiful and beautiful daughter.’
Sir Walter’s lawyer Mr John Blandford told the court Lady Gilbey ‘invented’ the allegation in revenge for her son hiding her car keys to prevent her driving
The court heard Sir Gilbey was visiting his mother from his home in the Scottish Highlands.
Prosecutor Miss Amanda Burrows told the court: ‘The defendant had been staying with her some days, her housekeeper was away and there was nobody else in the house.
‘Lady Gilbey says the defendant came into the room where she was watching television and they started arguing and she says her son came towards her in a threatening manner.
‘She placed her walking cane in front of her and he snatched it and broke it into several pieces.
‘He grabbed her violently from her chair and she fell to the ground so hard her hearing aid fell from her ear.’
She told the court Lady Gilbey suffered ‘significant bruising’ to the left side of her chest.
However Sir Walter’s lawyer Mr John Blandford told the court Lady Gilbey ‘invented’ the allegation in revenge for her son hiding her car keys to prevent her driving.
He said: ‘Lady Gilbey was driving on a regular basis even though she has glaucoma, which she should have informed DVLA about.
‘The defendant was very concerned she was driving and causing a risk to other road users and on two occasions took her car keys away.
‘This led to rows and threats and that is the reason for the false allegation.’
Sir Walter says his mother struck him with her walking stick, shouting: ‘You’re ruining my life,’ when he took her car keys.
‘It is very important for me to be able to drive. I live right out in the country, I have to drive,’ said Lady Gilbey, giving evidence via a videolink.
Sir Walter says his mother struck him on August 24 and 26, last year, forcing him to confiscate her walking stick and telling her: ‘Mum, you’ve got to stop hitting me.’
The Eton-educated 68-year-old, the 4th Baronet of The Gilbey Baronetcy, denied assault at Horsham Magistrates’ Court
However, she insists he was the aggressor. ‘The way he came into the room in such a threatening manner and when I put my stick up he snatched it in such a menacing manner.
‘I landed on my face and missed the metal stove by a matter of inches. That might have killed me.
‘I went to my doctor to show him all the bruising because I thought I’d broken my ribs.’
The court heard Sir Walter told officers: ‘I deny assaulting my mother in any way whatsoever.
‘I have not acted in any way that is considered threatening or intimidating. I did not cause any injury or bruising to my mother.’
Lady Gilbey saw her GP with her daughter Mrs Frederick, 64, a mother-of-two.
Lady Gilbey’s GP told the court her injuries were ‘in keeping’ with the alleged attack.
A photo shown to the court of the bruise was taken several days before the visit to Dr Fooks, the court heard.
He said: ‘The injury I was shown was a significant bruise which would have been in keeping with what I was informed had occurred.’
Sir Walter is the 4th Baronet of The Gilbey Baronetcy and the title’s seat is Elsenham Hall, Essex.
The title was created on September 4, 1893 for the wine merchant, stock-breeder, agriculturalist and philanthropist Walter Gilbey.
He was chairman and co-founder of W & A Gilbey, established in 1857, a wine merchants and distillers most famous for London dry gin.
The brand is now owned by industry giants Diageo.
Twice-divorced Sir Walter is known by his middle name Gavin and was a director of Giblet’s International Inc between 1986 and 1992.
He succeeded as fourth Baronet on October 29, 1991.
Sir Walter denies common assault. The trial continues.
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