A relative of the Queen has been jailed for 10 months for sexually assaulting a woman at his ancestral home.
Simon Bowes-Lyon, who is the Earl of Strathmore, pleaded guilty to attacking the woman – who was his guest – at Glamis Castle in Angus in February last year.
Today the 34-year-old, who is the son of a cousin on the Queen, was jailed at Dundee Sheriff Court for the bedroom attack in the early hours of the morning.
During sentencing, Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said the woman continues to suffer nightmares from the ordeal, which lasted 20 minutes.
He said: “The complainer was afraid and upset to the extent that she locked her door and wedged a chair under the handle after she got you out of her bedroom, and was left shaking by the end of it all.
“Even now – one year on – she still, occasionally, has nightmares and feels panicked because of being sexually assaulted by you. This has also had an impact on her emotional wellbeing.
“This sexual assault was made worse for several reasons: you were the complainer’s host and took advantage of this position, you forced your way past her to get in to her bedroom, you assaulted her in the face of her repeated verbal and physical protestations that you should stop, and you repeatedly prevented the complainer from getting away from her bedroom and from your unwanted attentions.
“The amounts of force, aggression and persistence that you used are concerning.”
Bowes-Lyon was also placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years.