Baroness Receives Suspended Prison Sentence For Drunken Race-Rant At Belgravia Hotel

A European aristocrat, who attacked a businessman and a security guard at a Belgravia Hotel while drunkenly shouting: "You brown people are ruining Britain," has received a suspended prison sentence.

Baroness Marie-Claire von Alvensleben, 60, claims her drink was spiked at the bar of the Sheraton Belgravia Hotel in Chesham Place where she also ranted: "Niggers should not be allowed here."

She pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to the racially aggravated assault of Canadian businessman Adam Sumel and security guard Haliz Hamza on December 5, last year and received six weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

The novelist, whose publishing company recently failed, also pleaded guilty to obstructing a PC Luscombe later that night after fleeing to her room at the nearby Grade II-listed The Diplomat Hotel.

Now Geneva-based and relying on the charity of well-connected friends, von Alvensleben claims to be penniless and trying to recoup debts owed to her PR company which matches buyers and sellers in the international property and art world.

She obtained her title from her German aristocrat husband, who she divorced a decade ago, and the family name's earliest reference is in 1163.

She is a well-known face on the charity circuit and was an associate of millionaire hotelier Andrew Davis, 50.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told the court: "The complainant is a Canadian businessman staying at the Belgravia Hotel and after checking in he attended the bar area and the defendant sat next to him and was talking loudly with two other men.

von Alvensleben told him: "Niggers should not be allowed here," and followed up with: "You brown people are ruining Britain."

Mr. Gill explained: "She slapped him across the hands five times.

"The security man at the hotel spoke to the defendant because other guests complained about her behaviour and she clenched both her fists and pounded his chest repeatedly."

As she was being led out von Alvensleben, the author of a series of books entitled 'Absolutely Everything About' screamed at the guard: "You have stayed here ten years, this must be India."

While exiting the hotel Mr. Gill told the court the defendant continued ranting about: "Blacks, Arabs, Asians and Jewish people."

The police were called and officers attended her room at the nearby Diplomat Hotel.

"She was intoxicated at the time, she was being obstructive to the officer. She was using a mobile phone as the officer tried to speak to her.

"She took a long time to get dressed and she was abusive and aggressive to the officer as he tried to cuff her hands."

von Alvensleben spent 15 hours in police cells and told officers she didn't know she should not have mixed alcohol with her medication for depression and remembers nothing after having a meal with an associate.

Her lawyer, Miss Jyothi Somavarapu told the court von Alvensleben is a struggling freelancer owed money. "She was in London to collect that debt.

"She has nowhere to live in the UK, she lost her flat after client's didn't pay."

von Alvensleben claims she had no more than two glasses of wine, but a Dr. Phillips, who wrote a short report, described her as: "very aggressive" with people who upset her and feels people are: "taking advantage of her connections."

She was given a complimentary drink at the bar because the smoking room was closed early. "After that drink she felt there was something mixed with that drink," von Alvensleben's lawyer told the court.

"She believes her drink was spiked at the bar. She has no recollection at all as to what happened and says it is out of character for her to say such things."

Her subsequent husband died last year and a fiancé has passed away since and von Alvensleben now finds herself suffering amnesia and leaving suitcases in airports and bags in restaurants.

"For her it is shocking. She has never uttered these words before and is upset that those words have been quoted," added her lawyer.

von Alvensleben told District Judge Jane Fudge from the secure dock: "I did go back to the hotel two days after what happened to apologise.

"I spoke to the person at the bar and they said they did not understand what happened because it was not my style and last week | saw the manager to apologise and I've done that.

"I don't remember assaulting anybody. The police were very nasty and I retaliated."

An eye-witness, who describes themselves only as 'Disgusted as Belgravia' said online: "I was there and what she said was beyond unacceptable. There is no room for such behaviour in these times."

District Judge Fudge said: "What concerns me is the foul, unpleasant and abusive language used against other patrons of the hotel, there is no excuse whatsoever.

"You did use words and you continued to use those words.

"You've got some extremely unpleasant racial abuse accompanying this and that concerns me.

"What was said on this occasion was extremely unpleasant and no doubt extremely distressing for those around her that heard this."

von Alvensleben was also made subject to a one-month exclusion order, banning her from entering the Sheraton Belgravia and she was ordered to pay £80 costs and an £85 victim surcharge within 28 days.