By Andrew Miller-
Prince Andrew’s request for depositions – including his own – to be kept under seal ahead of a major court showdown next week has been rejected by Ms Giuffre’s representatives , who insist there is “no logic or authority for such a provision”.
It comes following the conviction of his long term former pal Ghislaine Maxwell, who was last night found guilty of five out of six charges of sex trafficking at her New York trial.
She faces the rest of her waking life in jail following her conviction, but could achieve a reduced sentence if she provides incriminating evidence against any other parties including the beloved prince.
The Queen’s beloved son has called for Ms Giuffre’s civil case thrown out, claiming that his accuser cannot bring the action against him because she is not a US resident.
Ms Giuffre, now 38, claims she was trafficked to London where she claims she was forced to sleep with the Duke while she was a ‘teen sex slave’ of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who was then a close friend of Andrew.
Prince Andrew strongly denies the allegations, and there is no known evidence that he was aware of any compulsion for any of Epstein’s sex slaves to perform any sexual acts.
Ms Bloom pointed out that Andrew has previously said he was closer to Maxwell than to Epstein, and added that the former’s conviction “just brings us one step closer to Prince Andrew”.
Heightened curiosity arose this week after Maxwell was seen talking to a producer from ABC News in the New York courtroom, sparking speculation that she might be willing to implicate others involved in the depraved world in which she and her despicable billionaire friend lived.
Whatever she spills out would need to be provable, or at least credible, but the wide discretion afforded to jurors is the key and worrying factor for the likes of Prince Andrew, who desperately needs the case thrown out so he can sleep smoothly at night.
Andrew’s appeal to get the civil case – in which Ms Giuffre is seeking unspecified damages – thrown out will be heard in New York next week.
Regrettable Pic: Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17, with Ghislaine Maxwell in the background
Prince Andrew’s lawyer, also called Andrew but with the last name Brettler, said in documents filed in the southern district court of New York on Tuesday that the case should be halted until the “issue of subject matter jurisdiction is adjudicated”.
He wrote: “Recently discovered evidence suggests that the court does not have subject matter jurisdiction over this action because plaintiff Virginia L Giuffre cannot satisfy the elements of diversity jurisdiction.
“Notwithstanding that, in her complaint Ms Giuffre alleges she is a citizen of the state of Colorado; the evidence demonstrates that she is actually domiciled in Australia, where she has lived for all but two of the past 19 years”.
Prince Andrew has top lawyers, and the legal submission presented cannot be dismissed without proper examination unless it completely lacks merit.
The unusual request for details of the case to be kept secret has been described by Guiffre’s lawyers as having “no logic or authority for such a provision” ,adding that Andrew’s team had left it too late to ask for a confidentiality order.
Guiffre’s attorney, Ms McCawley has said that the matter will not go away, as her client would re-file her civil action, even if Prince Andrew’s request succeeds.
“The parties in this action will need to resolve this dispute one way or another,” she said.