Cops search for chef’s son after he fails to show at court
Big Brother reject Marco Pierre White Jr is being hunted by police after he failed to attend court to give evidence against his mother over allegations of a ‘serious assault’.
Matilde Conejero, 51, known as Mati, allegedly attacked her two sons by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White on 20 September 2015.
Conejero is said to have kicked White Jr repeatedly in the groin at their apartment block in Chiswick, west London, before laying into her eldest son Luciano, 22, when he stepped in.
She appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court today (tues) to face two charges of assault by beating, but White Jr and Luciano failed to attend to give evidence against her.
Prosecutor Katie Weiss said the pair weren’t answering their phones and may have had a ‘change of heart’ about taking to the witness stand to give evidence against their mother.
She said: ‘It’s a domestic violence case involving a mother and two sons, perhaps they have had a change of heart, they are not answering their phones.’
A witness summons had already been served for Luciano and District Judge Deborah Wright granted a request for a witness summons to be served on White Jr.
Miss Weiss said: ‘I think that they should be here, it’s a serious assault and it’s domestic violence.
‘My application is for a witness summons and for the officer to go there [to their address].’
Michael Smith, defending, said: ‘Marco Pierre White Jr indicated he would be away in July and August and didn’t want to attend.’
Judge Wright said if the brothers do not attend later today (Tues) she will proceed in their absence and the charges could end up being dropped.
White Jr was fined £400 after admitting being in charge of a motor vehicle while high on cocaine on 21 June, days after he was booted out of the BB house.
During the show the model had bragged to housemates about splashing £250,000 in three months on ‘prostitutes, cocaine, and alcohol’.
Spanish-born Conejero, who appears on court papers as Matilde White, first met celebrity chef Marco Pierre White while working as a bar manager in one of his restaurants, with the pair marrying in 2000.
Relations between Conejero and Marco Pierre White began to break down in 2005 when she accused him of cheating with financier Robin Saunders.
The chef spent 14 hours in a police cell after he and his wife had a row.
The pair split in 2007, with Mathilde filing for divorce on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour.
But divorce proceedings were withdrawn in 2011 after running up massive legal bills of up to an estimated £3million.
Leeds-born Marco Pierre White, 54, was the youngest chef to be given three Michelin stars at the age of 33.
He has run a string of renowned restaurants in London alongside several steakhouse bar and grills across the country and is now known as the television face of Knorr.
Conejero, of (66B) Chiswick High Road, denies two charges of assault by beating.
mfl
ends
