UK court quashes search warrants for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes

The High Court of England and Wales heard on Thursday that police accepted search warrants used on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes were unlawful, France 24 and ABC Australia reported. ABC Australia reported that the warrants have been quashed. In a statement after the hearing, a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "We accept the position that the initial court's decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect and therefore these must be legally quashed."

ABC Australia reported that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor won the court battle on Thursday but that the outcome does not end the police investigation. The presiding judge, Mr Justice Hillard, said: "the fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring an investigation to an end, or mean that the whole of the investigation was unlawful", ABC Australia reported. Thames Valley Police are reapplying to keep the material retrospectively using different laws, and future court hearings will decide whether police can keep the evidence gathered, ABC Australia reported.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, the King's brother, was arrested on 19 February, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, France 24 and ABC Australia reported. ABC Australia reported that police are investigating allegations relating to his time as a UK trade commissioner between 2001 and 2011. He has not been charged and has always maintained his innocence, ABC Australia reported.

ABC Australia reported that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor launched his legal challenge against Thames Valley Police earlier this year, but it was only made public in the past week. An agreement to quash the warrants was formalised by the High Court on 22 July, ABC Australia reported. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor did not attend Thursday's hearing, ABC Australia reported.

ABC Australia reported that the investigation was sparked after journalists uncovered documents that raised questions about whether Mr Mountbatten-Windsor leaked confidential government information to Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, once a friend of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019, ABC Australia reported. ABC Australia also reported that Thames Valley Police have previously said they were "assessing" reports of possible sex offences, and that Epstein's main accuser, Virginia Giuffre, claimed the King's brother raped her three times in 2001.