Guilty gin heir cannot be alone with mother

THE heir to a gin empire can only see his elderly mother in the presence of her housekeeper, magistrates have ruled, after he was convicted of attacking her.

Sir Walter Gavin Gilbey, 68, was found guilty of violently attacking his 95-yearold mother after lying to the court about the assault.

He “hurled” his mother, Lady Elizabeth Gilbey, to the floor on August 26 last year “in a moment of anger and frustration” causing significant bruising to her chest. He also snapped her walking stick into “several pieces”.

Sir Walter, who lives in the Highlands, dialled 999 and said his mother had gone “crazy mad” making “wild assertions” to the neighbours. He claimed the incident was a lie concocted by his sister, Lady Camilla Frederick, over a family feud for control of Lady Gilbey’s estate.

Magistrates sitting at Horsham in West Sussex found him guilty of one count of assault by beating. Gilbey has also been fined £339.