ONE of the late Queen’s cousins has been banned from driving after he was clocked speeding while he was drunk at the wheel of his £100,000 Mercedes.
Convicted sex offender Simon Bowes-Lyon, the Earl of Strathmore, was banned from the road for 16 months and fined £1,000 when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.
The court was told that Bowes-Lyon was speeding in the 155 mph ‘muscle’ car when he was pulled over by police and found to be under the influence of alcohol.
Bowes-Lyon, who was jailed for ten months in 2021 for carrying out a sex attack at Glamis Castle, was told he could reduce his ban by four months if he completed a rehab course.
The 37-year-old aristocrat admitted driving while he was over the limit on the A90 Perth to Dundee road at Inchture on 23 March this year.
His reading was 55 mics, compared to the 22 mics limit.
Bowes-Lyon was charged with driving the powerful 603 bhp Mercedes AMG E 63S 4Matic at 88 miles per hour, but the Crown dropped this as part of a plea deal.
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton told the court: “At 8pm officers detected the accused’s vehicle being driven in excess of the speed limit on the A90 Perth to Dundee road near Inchture.
“They pulled the vehicle over and he was obliged to provide a specimen of breath, which he complied with.
“The sample returned positive for alcohol and he was arrested.
“He was taken to divisional police HQ in Dundee.”
Bowes-Lyon’s solicitor said: “A guilty plea on the restricted basis was agreed on 6 November and the Crown narrative was agreed.
“There is no more to add to the circumstances, except to say my client fully co-operated with police.
“He is the owner and manager of an estate in Angus and has business interests elsewhere in the UK.
“He has a significant income.
“He entirely accepts responsibility for his actions.
“He recognises the danger of his actions and the potential consequences for members of the public.
“He fully understands public disquiet about the nature of the charge.
“He is profoundly remorseful and sorry for his conduct and the inconvenience he has caused to the public and to this court.”
Sheriff William Gilchrist said: “The reading is high.
“Your disqualification will be reduced by four months if you successfully complete the drink driver’s rehabilitation course.”
Bowes-Lyon was jailed for 10 months and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years after he admitted carrying out a violent sex attack on a travel writer at his estate.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said the level of force, aggression and persistence shown during the violent 20 minute attack on a guest at his ancestral home meant a prison sentence was required.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Bowes-Lyon had been assessed by experts as posing a “medium risk” of committing more sexual crimes.
The court heard that his victim still had nightmares more than a year after the incident.
Sheriff Carmichael said: “She had no sexual interest in you and had done nothing that could be interpreted by you to the contrary.
“You went to her bedroom and persuaded her to open the door, pushed your way into the room, pushed her onto the bed and grabbed her hard on the nipple and tried to push her nightdress up.
“You told her that you were going to fuck her and that she needed a shafting.
“You continued to pull at her and tried to kiss her. Throughout all this she made it clear she wanted you to stop.”
Bowes-Lyon then followed the woman around the room as she tried to get away and grabbed her nipple a second time – so hard that it was still painful the next day.
Even after she managed to get him out of the room, the terrified woman heard Bowes-Lyon coming back and trying to get back in a second time.
The sheriff said: “She was afraid to the extent that she locked the door and wedged a chair under the handle.
“She was left shaking.
“Even now, one year on, she still has nightmares and feels panic because of being sexually assaulted by you.
“It was made worse that you were her host.
“You assaulted her in the face of repeated protestations to stop and you repeatedly prevented the complainer from getting away.”
Counsel for the accused, John Scott QC, said: “His sense of deep regret and deep shame comes through.
“It is entirely out of character for the accused.
“He does not wish to be treated better than anyone else and nor should he be.
“Nor should he be treated any worse.
“Assumptions are made about his privilege.
“He has recognised he did something very bad and he is sorry for it.”
Mr Scott told the court that Bowes-Lyon had childhood issues but had not fully expressed them to social workers as he preferred to focus on the happy parts of his upbringing.
The court previously heard how the aristocrat forced his way into a sleeping woman’s room and assaulted her during a travel PR weekend he was hosting at the 16,500-acre estate.
Bowes-Lyon, who is the late Queen‘s cousin, twice removed, carried out a sustained attack on the 26-year-old woman.
Bowes-Lyon, who is known as ‘Sam’ and described himself to police as a ‘farmer,’ is a great-great nephew of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
The multi-millionaire landowner walked behind Prince William in The Queen Mother’s funeral cortege as a 15-year-old.
The flashy aristocrat, who boasts about his love of fast cars and holidays with reality TV stars, was named in Britain’s 50 Most Eligible Batchelors by Tatler in 2019.
Nobleman and peer Simon ‘Sam’ Patrick Bowes-Lyon, the 19th and 6th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, was styled Lord Glamis from 1987 until his father’s death in 2016.
His family owns Glamis Castle and inherited a share of his father’s £40 million estate.
In 2010 he was banned from the road for nine months after he was clocked riding his motorbike at 100 mph on a 60 mph stretch of road.
Among his well-known friends are Made In Chelsea TV stars Hugo Taylor and Oliver Proudlock, Bryan Ferry’s son Otis and model and socialite Poppy Delevingne.
After his initial court appearance, Bowes-Lyon said: “I am greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home.
“Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident.
“As someone who is only too well aware of the damage that alcohol can cause, I should have known better.
“I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.
“I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.
“My apologies go, above all, to the woman concerned, but I would also like to apologise to family, friends and colleagues for the distress I have caused them.”
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