Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Earl of Strathmore jailed for drunken sexual assault on woman at castle
THE Earl of Strathmore has been jailed for carrying out a violent sex attack on a woman who was staying at his Glamis Castle home.
Simon Bowes-Lyon, the Queen’s cousin twice removed, drunkenly groped the woman and pushed her on to a bed after forcing his way into her room at the 16,500acre estate.
His victim repeatedly asked the 34-year-old, known as “Sam”, to leave the room but he refused.
A court heard the woman still suffers from nightmares as a result of Bowes-Lyon’s attack.
The wealthy laird has now been locked up for 10 months and placed on the sex offenders register for the next decade.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael ruled only a prison sentence could mark the gravity of BowesLyon’s attack.
He told Bowes-Lyon at Dundee Sheriff Court: “The amount of force, aggression and persistence that you used are concerning.
“The seriousness of this sexual assault takes it over the custodial threshold.
“The sentence must reflect the gravity of this crime, the need for punishment and the need to express society’s disapproval.”
The woman was a guest at the castle for a PR event in February.
Bowes-Lyon showed off his Jaguar F-Type to the woman with guests being treated to helicopter rides and gin tastings on the grounds.
The court heard that before the attack the woman went to bed at about 11.30pm before being awoken in the early hours by a drunken Bowes-Lyon.
“She did not do or say anything that inferred she had any interest in him sexually or otherwise,” fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said previously.
“At 1.20am, the complainer was asleep in bed and was awoken by knocking at the door.
“She heard the accused say ‘it’s Sam, it’s important, please let me in’.
“The accused pushed his way in and pushed her on the bed.
“He was very drunk and smelled strongly of cigarettes.”
Mrs Mannion said Bowes-Lyon had grabbed the woman’s breasts and tried to lift up her nightdress.
“She repeatedly asked him to leave but he refused,” she added.
“She went to the bathroom to try to close the door but the accused followed her and lit a cigarette.
“She slipped past him and went back into the room but he pushed her against a wall.”
Bowes-Lyon then touched the woman indecently before she escaped his clutches and tried to call her boyfriend.
However, the poor mobile phone signal meant she could only make WhatsApp calls.
Bowes-Lyon repeatedly refused to leave and made explicit comments.
After the woman told him to “f*** off”, Bowes-Lyon said she was a “rude, mean, bad and horrible person”.
A fellow guest later found the woman visibly shaken and Bowes-Lyon initially denied the incident.
He then sent an email to the same guest that included an apology he wanted passed on to the woman.
Police were later contacted and Bowes-Lyon, who told officers he was a farmer, gave a “no comment” interview.
Defence counsel John Scott QC said his client had undergone counselling to address his behaviour and had expressed “regret” and “shame” for his conduct.
He said: “The accused underwent specialist counselling because he too has been troubled by the way he behaved which is entirely out of character.
“The report goes into some detail about a community payback order and it’s that disposal that I suggest would be appropriate here.
“He did something very bad and is deeply sorry for it. He has sought to address that himself and now under the supervision of the court he is in a position to be monitored.”
Before jailing Bowes-Lyon, Sheriff Carmichael said: “It is clear from the agreed narrative that, whilst the complainer had spoken to you during this event, she had no sexual interest in you and had done nothing that could reasonably have been interpreted by you to the contrary.
“Throughout all of this she made it clear that she wanted you to stop. She told you repeatedly that she had a boyfriend, repeatedly told you to leave and