LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) – King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will give evidence in an English court in July at the trial of a man charged with using threatening or abusive words against him, a London court was told on Friday.
Alex Jenkinson, 39, appeared by video link at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he denied threatening behaviour with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence towards the former prince, who was stripped of his title by the king.
Police previously said they were called on Wednesday to a report of a man behaving in an intimidating manner in the village of Wolferton, in the county of Norfolk, near the king’s Sandringham estate, where Mountbatten-Windsor now lives.
Jenkinson will stand trial on July 29, when Mountbatten-Windsor is expected to give evidence, though prosecutors asked that he be able to do so remotely.
Jenkinson was granted bail on condition he does not attempt to contact Mountbatten-Windsor, enter the county of Norfolk or attend Sandringham and other royal residences, including Balmoral, Buckingham Palace, Highgrove and Windsor Castle.
He also denied a second count of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to another man. The two charges each carry a maximum six-month prison sentence if convicted.
Jenkinson pleaded guilty to a third charge of failing to provide a blood sample to police after he was arrested.
Mountbatten-Windsor has lived in Sandringham since moving out of his mansion on the royal estate in Windsor in February, following new, damaging revelations about his links to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He has always denied any wrongdoing and said he regrets his friendship with Epstein.
The royal, who remains eighth in line to the throne but has been stripped of all his titles and is no longer a prince, was arrested on his 66th birthday later that month on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Epstein. He has not been charged.
(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Michael Holden and Peter Graff)
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