Harry’s guard was domestic abuser
Former Met officer seen with Duke and Duchess of Sussex throttled his wife in terrifying confrontation
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex were protected during their visit to Britain by a bodyguard who has been convicted of domestic violence.
The couple, who made private security arrangements for their trip to the UK, were photographed being driven by Pere Daobry.
Mr Daobry, a former Metropolitan police firearms officer, was convicted of assault in 2016 for attacking his then wife, but was spared jail after the court was told he had phoned 999 himself. The Duke and Duchess were not aware of the conviction. Mr Daobry is now believed to be working for a private security firm, and was photographed in the Sussexes’ car alongside their longstanding protection officer.
The Duke and Duchess, who were not aware of the conviction, have not yet responded to a request for comment. The Duchess has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights, speaking out about the “crisis state” of gender-based violence on her 2019 visit to South Africa.
When they were photographed with Mr Daobry, they were on their way to the One Young World summit in Manchester, where gender equality was one of the key topics on the agenda.
Mr Daobry’s father yesterday confirmed his 51-year-old son was the man photographed working as a personal bodyguard for the Sussexes.
Speaking at his family home in Edmonton, north London, Mr Daobry Snr, said: “Yes, that is my son in the photographs with Harry and Meghan but I don’t want to make any comment about his job. He is a grown man with four children and can speak for himself.”
He refused to comment on his son’s conviction for domestic violence and whether it was appropriate for him to be working for the Duchess of Sussex, given her strong support for victims of violence and women’s rights.
“Why should I comment? Ask him. I have nothing to say,” said Mr Daobry Snr.
The bodyguard was one of several employed to protect the Duke and Duchess during their trip to the UK and Germany. The Duke is currently embroiled in a dispute with the Home Office over whether his family should qualify for Met police protection whenever they are in the UK.
This summer, he won the right to challenge in court the Government’s decision not to grant him automatic police protection.
During the couple’s visit to Europe, which was supposed to last four days but was extended after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, they used private protection to attend an event in Manchester and during a one-day trip to the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.
Mr Daobry was photographed driving them from their Frogmore Cottage home at Windsor to London Euston station.
In September 2016, Mr Daobry was convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court of assault for attacking his wife, Sarah Jay. Mrs Jay, a former Essex Police sergeant, had endured a minute-long attack in which he strangled her with both hands after she told him she no longer loved him, according to court reports at the time. Mrs Jay killed herself in 2019.
He was given a 12-week suspended sentence. The chair of the magistrates’ court called the attack a “very unpleasant assault on Mrs Jay” which left her “clearly terrified”, but added Daobry had the “decency” to ring 999 later.
‘That is my son with Harry and Meghan but I don’t want to comment. He can speak for himself ’