Royal Watch News

Princess Caroline's husband back in court

Jun 16, 2009, 11:15 GMT

Princess Caroline of Monaco's husband is being retried for assault.

Prince Ernst August of Hanover- a distant relative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and great-grandson of the last German emperor, Wilhelm II -has admitted he hit a hotel owner in Kenya but insists he only used his hands.

He is seeking to have his 2004 conviction for serious bodily harm and subsequent 445,000 Euros fine reduced in the latest court battle.

In the first trial, the court ruled that Ernst August, now 55, had lashed out with a metal object, repeatedly hitting Josef Brunlehner after becoming irritated from the noise from a disco in January, 2000.

But in a written statement to Hildesheim state court yesterday (15.06.09), Ernst August said he "gave a symbolic left and right slap to the face," wore no ring "and had neither brass knuckles nor any other object in hand."

Although the prince was in court, he made no further comment.

At his original trial for the incident, Ernst August's attorney suggested the prince had been holding something during the assault but was not fully accountable because he had been drinking and "flares up under the influence of alcohol and loses control of his actions."

However, the prince's statement yesterday claimed he had been "deceived" by his former legal representative.

The prince won a retrial at the end of last year when witnesses - including his wife Caroline - testified they could support his story.

The trial is expected to last 11 days. It was not clear whether Caroline would be called as a witness.

Ernst has had previous legal troubles.

Among other things, he was fined for attacking a German photographer in 1999.

In 2003, his driving license was suspended for a month after he was caught speeding.

He also caused uproar in 2000 when pictures were released showing him urinating outside the Turkish pavilion at the World's Fair in Hanover.