Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard last Thursday from the witness statement of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a man who until October 2025 held the title Duke of York, who is currently under police investigation for misconduct in public office related to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, and who was walking his dogs near his Marsh Farm residence on the Sandringham estate on May 6 when he spotted a car he initially assumed belonged to press photographers.
The statement, read aloud by Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram, described what happened next. Andrew noticed a man standing by the car. The man “turned and faced me — he was wearing a balaclava face covering,” Andrew’s statement said. Andrew and his security officer drove away. The man, Andrew’s statement continued, “then realised who I was and began to sprint after my vehicle.” Norfolk Police were called. They arrested Alex Jenkinson, 39, on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon. Andrew and his protection officer gave statements. Jenkinson was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour toward the former royal, allegedly causing him to “fear unlawful violence.” Jenkinson has pleaded not guilty.
The defendant attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court with his dog, Indie. His solicitor, Claire Howell, explained to Deputy Chief Magistrate Ikram that Jenkinson is currently without a permanent home, staying at a Travelodge, and is unable to leave the animal unattended. “It provides him with support, he suffers from ADHD,” Howell told the court. She acknowledged she had no documentation to substantiate either the medical condition or the requirement for the dog’s presence. The dog was permitted to stay. Jenkinson stood outside the court building with Indie during breaks.
The balaclava incident, which GB News confirmed through its own reporting, renewed the question of Andrew’s security arrangements, which have been a running dispute since 2019 when the late Queen Elizabeth removed his publicly-funded Metropolitan Police protection following his association with Epstein. King Charles declined to fund private protection for his brother on behalf of the Crown. GB News confirmed that the King makes a lump-sum payment to cover Andrew’s expenses, including security, but leaves it to Andrew to allocate those funds as he sees fit. Andrew is understood to retain former close protection officers from the Metropolitan Police as private bodyguards, funded from his own allocation. Whether those arrangements are adequate has been questioned publicly since the May 6 incident.
Royal commentator Rafe Haydel-Mankoo told GB News in May that Andrew “doesn’t appear to still understand quite why he’s in the position he is in,” which is the assessment of a man who, according to separate reporting, believes he remains entitled to taxpayer-funded security despite having had his titles removed, being evicted from Royal Lodge, being arrested under investigation for misconduct in public office, and being the reason his daughters have been largely absent from public royal engagements since February.
The trial of Alex Jenkinson continues. Andrew is under separate police investigation. The dog’s name is Indie.
When the former Duke of York testifies that a balaclava-clad man sprinted after his car and the defendant arrives at court with a rescue dog and no fixed address, what exactly is the legal system processing?
Sources
GB News: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor outlines encounter with man wearing ‘balaclava’ in witness statement
GB News: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor still believes he is ‘entitled to taxpayer-funded security’
