Baroness charged over racist tirade in posh London hotel bar

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A member of European aristocracy was sentenced to six weeks in jail, suspended for one year, and fined £165 after launching into a racist tirade at a posh London hotel.

Baroness Marie-Claire Von Alvensleben, 60, reportedly slapped Canadian businessman Adam Sumel at the bar of the plush Belgraves Hotel before screaming "You brown people are ruining Britain".

When security guard Haliz Hamza arrived on the scene, Von Alvensleben "pounded his chest" and unleashed a rant about "blacks, Arabs, Asians and Jews", adding: "N*****s should not be allowed here", reports the Daily Mail.

She pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to two counts of racially aggravated assault during the 5 December 2013 incident.

She also pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer after he tracked her down in her room at the nearby Diplomat Hotel.

According to the Daily Telegraph, prosecutor 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: "******* should not be allowed here," and followed up with: "You brown people are ruining Britain."

Mr Gill said: "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."

Ms Von Alvensleben, a novelist, gained her title from her late German aristocrat husband, who she divorced a decade ago.

Von Alvensleben's lawyer told the court she was given a complimentary drink at the bar because the smoking room was closed early, and believes she may have had her drink spiked.

She said: ""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."

District Judge Fudge described her behaviour as "extremely unpleasant and distressing".

Ms Von Alvensleben said she had since been to the hotel to apologise for her behaviour, which she says she cannot remember at all, adding she did not know she shouldn't have mixed alcohol with her tablets for depression.

She plans to return to her home in Geneva shortly.



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