Great-great-grandson of Viscount Astor, 19, spat vomit at police officer, court hears

Viscount Astor’s great-great-grandson spat sick in a policeman’s eye when he was high on drugs and drunk off wine, a court heard today.

Frederick Astor, 19, hurled verbal abuse at three officers before vomiting in one of their faces at his father’s country estate in the Cotswolds, magistrates’ were told.

He also spat saliva at the two other constables after bingeing on alcohol and Tramadol, Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard.

Astor is the great-grandson of the 2nd Viscount Waldorf, who was a notable politician and newspaper proprietor in the early 1900s.

He is the son of Thomas Astor and they live at the sprawling 500-acre Merriscourt House in Churchill, near Chipping Norton.

The teenager is also related to Samantha Cameron via her stepfather William Astor, whose cousin, the celebrated publisher and editor David Astor is Frederick’s grandfather.

PC Dyson told the court that when he arrived at the estate to treat Astor for a head injury the defendant spat vomit in his eyes.

He said: ‘I have been punched and kicked in the head amongst other things but this, in my opinion, is the worst assault I have suffered.’

He added: ‘To have vomit spat at my face in the midst of a global pandemic is disgusting.’

He is the son of Thomas Astor and they live at the sprawling 500-acre Merriscourt House (pictured) in Churchill, near Chipping Norton

PC Dyson continued in his victim statement: ‘Frederick’s behaviour throughout the incident was disgusting.

‘He spat at SPC Saunders who is a special constable and volunteers his time to help the police. He’s done nothing to deserve the assault or verbal abuse thrown at him.’

The attack took place when police were called to Merriscourt House on July 3, where they arrived to find Astor being restrained by his father, the court heard.

Officers rang an ambulance amid fears over an injury on the teenager’s heard, magistrates were told.

But as they waited he swore at them, tried to kick them before spitting at one and hitting him on the arm, the court heard.

Paramedics replaced a spit hood with a surgical mask when he got into the ambulance, but magistrates were told he vomited in it and later spat it at PC Dyson.

Mavalynne Lewis, defending, read a note from Astor saying: ‘What I did to those police officers was disgusting.’

The teenager is also related to Samantha Cameron (pictured this month) via her stepfather William Astor, whose cousin, the celebrated publisher and editor David Astor is Frederick’s grandfather

He added: ‘I’m so, so sorry. I don’t even recognise myself on the [police body worn] video.’

The court heard how the aristocrat had a history of mental health problems including battling insomnia.

It was told that the teenager turned to drugs – often cannabis – to try to remedy himself.

Presiding magistrate Carol Payne told the court: ‘These were particularly unpleasant assaults.

‘We’ve heard how you have felt remorse in relation to that and certainly, for the officers concerned, it was a very unpleasant situation to find themselves in.’

Astor was given an 18-month community order and must complete 120 days on an alcohol monitoring tag.

He also was ordered to do 24 rehabilitation activity days and pay £300 compensation to the policemen as well as a £95 victim surcharge.