Allies of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have compared his arrest and overall treatment by the police to that of Lord Brittan during Operation Midland. The former Duke of York is taking legal action against the Central Criminal Court and Thames Valley Police over the lawfulness of search warrants issued by a judge at the Old Bailey, allowing officers to raid his residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, in February.
Arrest and searches
Police began their searches of the two properties and arrested Andrew on February 19, his 66th birthday. Thames Valley confirmed on February 24 that their searches had ended. Andrew accused the force of taking personal items in searches of his home.
A Thames Valley police spokesperson previously said: “Whilst our investigation into misconduct in public office continues, we are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court. As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”
Claims of humiliation
Meanwhile, those close to the former prince claimed the police raids were done to “humiliate” Andrew and ensure “maximum exposure for the police investigation”. The Telegraph said allies compared Andrew’s treatment to Scotland Yard’s botched Operation Midland probe.
Operation Midland was a high-profile criminal investigation that ran from November 2014 to March 2016. It eventually led to the Met paying out large sums in damages to those whose homes had been raided.
Operation Midland context
Detectives investigated what turned out to be a non-existent “VIP paedophile ring” in Westminster, raiding homes of various high-profile figures, including Lord Brittan, a former UK Home Secretary and European Commissioner, who died just weeks earlier.
The first hearing in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s legal challenge against Thames Valley Police will be held at the High Court on Thursday. Today, the Royal Courts of Justice will hear Thames Valley Police’s bid to restrict access to court documents for the claim.
Hearing details
The hearing before Mr Justice Hilliard is due to begin at 2pm. It will begin in private, with the press and public excluded, and a judgment is expected to be given in open court. It is not known whether Andrew will attend the hearing, and no details of his challenge have been confirmed.
