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Earl of Cardigan 'looked possessed' court told Earl of Cardigan not guilty of assault charge
(about 1 hour later)
The Earl of Cardigan "looked like a man possessed" as he attacked one of his estate's trustees, a court has heard. The Earl of Cardigan has been cleared of attacking an estate trustee on the family's Savernake Estate in Wiltshire.
David Brudenell-Bruce, 60, from Wiltshire, denies assaulting John Moore by beating last year after losing a legal row over ancestral paintings. David Brudenell-Bruce, 60, had been accused of assaulting John Moore by beating last year after losing a legal row over ancestral paintings.
He also faces a charge of criminal damage after allegedly throwing debris at another estate employee. The earl was also found not guilty of a charge of criminal damage.
Mike Pulsford, defending, told Salisbury Magistrates' Court Mr Moore had been goading the earl. Leaving Salisbury Magistrates Court, Lord Cardigan said: "I am delighted and relieved. I wasn't looking for trouble on either incidents."
The 4,500-acre Savernake Estate, near Marlborough, which includes Savernake Lodge where Mr Brudenell-Bruce lives, is where the assault is alleged to have taken place in April 2012. He added: "On both occasions this happened on my own property and they came to me."
A week earlier the earl lost a High Court battle with trustees of the family estate to stop portraits of his ancestors being sold to raise funds. 'Man possessed'
'Fearsome' The assault was alleged to have taken place a week after the earl lost a High Court battle with trustees of the family estate to stop portraits of his ancestors being sold to raise funds.
Mr Moore told the court he was driving through the estate when he came across the earl and his wife Joanne, who were walking their dog, when he was verbally attacked and spat at. During the hearing, trustee Mr Moore told the court Lord Cardigan "looked like a man possessed" as he was verbally attacked and spat at by the earl.
"His eyes were wide open and he looked like a man possessed," Mr Moore told the court. Mr Moore said: "I think he just loses control and I think that is what happened - he lost control."
"I think he just loses control and I think that is what happened - he lost control. Mike Pulsford, defending, suggested to Mr Moore he started the conversation with the earl, accusing him of "destroying the estate" and goading him further.
"The defendant was a very angry man, he did look possessed, his lips were sort of sucking in and he was looking fairly fearsome."
'Ugly sow'
Then in a second confrontation he alleges that the earl spat at him and picked up some "gravel, leaves and dirt" from the side of the track which he threw at him through the vehicle's open window.
"It was vulgar abuse and very unlike him, he never used to be like that and I've known him for 30 years," Mr Moore told the court.
"He was offensive to me and my wife and he called her an ugly sow."
The earl denies he threw the dirt and suggests he placed it into the Land Rover in order to get Mr Moore to leave.
Mike Pulsford, defending, suggested to Mr Moore he started the conversation with the earl, accusing him of "destroying the estate".
Mr Pulsford said that the trustee had been goading the defendant and stopped his Land Rover six times to pass derogatory comments at the earl.
"You were persistent in trying to rile David, you were being totally offensive from the beginning," Mr Pulsford told Mr Moore."You were persistent in trying to rile David, you were being totally offensive from the beginning," Mr Pulsford told Mr Moore.
The trustee denied saying anything derogatory to the earl.
'Childish stuff'
Lord Cardigan told the magistrates: "We were just slinging insults at each other.Lord Cardigan told the magistrates: "We were just slinging insults at each other.
"We mutually blamed each other for the sad state my family estate has been reduced to. We flung all sorts of insults at each other - childish stuff. We were shouting rude things at each other. "We mutually blamed each other for the sad state my family estate has been reduced to.
"When 'go away please' didn't work, it got more like 'sod off'. It was two men slinging silly boyish remarks." "We flung all sorts of insults at each other - childish stuff. We were shouting rude things at each other."
The earl denied using a bamboo cane to hit Mr Moore and also denied spitting at him.The earl denied using a bamboo cane to hit Mr Moore and also denied spitting at him.
Salisbury Magistrates' Court was also told of a separate incident in May last year when the earl is alleged to have thrown gravel at a pick-up truck being driven by estate foreman Leslie Kyle. 'Acrimonious relationship'
Lord Cardigan said Mr Kyle had reversed onto his lawn and he had thrown some gravel at the vehicle after shouts to the driver to get off the lawn had failed. Salisbury Magistrates' Court was also told of a separate incident in May last year when the earl was alleged to have thrown gravel at a pick-up truck being driven by estate foreman Leslie Kyle.
Lord Cardigan told the hearing that Mr Kyle had reversed onto his lawn and he had thrown some gravel at the vehicle after shouts to the driver to get off the lawn had failed.
Mr Kyle insisted he had not driven on the grass and said the gravel caused several chips, a dent and scratches to his vehicle's passenger door.Mr Kyle insisted he had not driven on the grass and said the gravel caused several chips, a dent and scratches to his vehicle's passenger door.
The case continues. The early was acquitted of this charge as well.
Chair of the Bench, Dr Pauline Tremlett, said there was "no doubt there is a long-standing acrimonious relationship here" but the Crown had not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt on either count.
Lord Cardigan lives at Savernake Lodge which is part of the 4,500-acre Savernake Estate, near Marlborough.