The Times - UK (2022-01-26)

the times | Wednesday January 26 2022 7

News

A lawyer for victims of Jeffrey Epstein
has speculated that the Duke of York
may be selling his ski chalet in Switzer-
land as a way of protecting his assets
from seizure.
Spencer Kuvin, who represented
nine people who were abused by
Epstein, a friend of Prince Andrew,
suggested the duke could benefit from
the sale if he were to lose a civil case
against Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre is seeking damages from the

received a financial judgment in her

favour, she could execute on any prop-

erties he has, the most likely being his

ski chalet,” he said. “If Andrew had

properties in any companion country

that would abide by [US jurisdiction],

she can execute on those properties.”

He said it would be “very difficult” for

a successful litigant to make a claim on

Andrew’s home, Royal Lodge in Wind-

sor Park, where he lives with his former

wife, Sarah Ferguson.

“A diplomatic conversation would

[need] to be had, but I imagine it would

be unthinkable that it would come to

that. If the Queen has transferred any

property to him, anywhere throughout

the entire world, they could try and

execute on that property if successful in

foreign courts,” he said.

The duke was the subject of legal

action in 2020 over £6.7 million

the chalet’s former owner, Isabelle de

Rouvre, claimed he and Ferguson still

owed after buying the chalet. De Rou-

vre withdrew her claim in December,

saying this month that the debt had

been paid.

Jack Malvern

The family of a mother of two who was
stabbed to death in a west London street
have praised a passing driver for hitting
and killing the knifeman with his car.
Yasmin Chkaifi’s relatives suggested
that the driver, who was arrested on
suspicion of murder, should receive an
honour for intervening during the
attack by her former partner at about
9am on Monday.
A warrant was out for the arrest of the
knifeman, Leon McCaskie, 40, for
breaching a stalking order, but he was
able to kill Chkaifi, 43, yards from her
home in Maida Vale. The Metropolitan
Police face an inquiry by the watchdog.
McCaskie stabbed her as many as ten
times in a busy street filled with com-
muters and parents and children on the
morning school run before he was hit by
the car.
Chkaifi’s cousin, who requested
anonymity, praised the 26-year-old
driver, who has been questioned by de-
tectives and released on bail. “He was a
hero. He witnessed it happen and tried

tect her from this demon,” one cousin

said. “We want justice.”

One of Chkaifi’s sons said she had

contacted police “numerous times” to

report the harassment. He added that

McCaskie had a “very abusive relation-

ship” with his mother, which worsened

after their separation. “My mother was

continually being harassed and intimi-

dated. He made her life hell,” he said.

The son claimed to have contacted

police “but they did nothing to help

her”, adding: “There was even a panic

alarm installed in our flat. That’s how

scared she was of this man.”

Neighbours of Chkaifi described her

as a “very kind woman” and a good

mother. One said that Chkaifi used to

work at St Augustine High School, a

nearby secondary school. Another

described McCaskie as Chkaifi’s hus-

band and said they had divorced after

no more than two years. “Sometimes he

used to come and shout from the balco-

ny at her — at the beginning, when they

divorced. He looked like he had taken

something, a drug or something like

that, he looked like a person who was

drunk. It was aggressive shouting. She

has a new partner.”

Records for Westminster magis-

trates’ court show a warrant was issued

for McCaskie after he was found loiter-

ing near Chkaifi’s home. He lived a

short walk away. Police confirmed the

two were known to each other.

A witness, Raad Jiyad, 52, described

running out of his home after hearing

screams and seeing Chkaifi being

attacked with a “big knife”. McCaskie

told people to stay back and shouted

“take it” as he attacked Chkaifi.

Prosecutors will have to consider

whether the driver’s alleged actions

may be covered by a common law

defence of self-defence, which provides

for the use of proportionate, reasonable

force to protect oneself or others.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawl-

inson, of the Met’s specialist crime com-

mand, said officers were “gaining a

clearer idea of what happened at the

scene thanks to information supplied

by the public and by reviewing CCTV”.

He praised the bravery of members of

the public who tried to stop the attack,

adding: “Their actions were very coura-

geous.” However, he said: “A man, who

was the driver of a car, has been arrested

and bailed for a very serious offence and

we must carry out a full investigation,

looking at all the circumstances.

“We are speaking to the families of

those concerned and doing all we can to

support them at this terrible time. We

can now confirm that both the deceased

were previously known to each other

and there are no outstanding suspects.”

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Chippenham Road

Location

of attack

Westway

Westbourne Park

500 feet

1. Yasmin Chkaifi, 43,
   is attacked by former
   boyfriend Leon
   McCaskie, 40 in
   Chippenham Road in
   front of dozens of
   onlookers at around
   9am on Monday
   3. The driver gets back
   into his car and slams
   into the group,
   including McCaskie


2. Emergency services
   arrive at the scene
   around 9.10am. The
   driver is arrested on
   suspicion of murder. He
   has since been released


3. A driver on bail
   who has
   stopped to try
   to help pleads
   with the
   knifeman to
   stop but
   McClaskie
   warns him not
   to approach

How it happened

N

Chippenham

Road

MAIDA VALE

Knife victim’s

family praise

driver who

struck killer

Charlie Parker
John Simpson Crime Correspondent

to stop him. We want to thank him so

much. Our family are very proud of him

and we hope that maybe the Queen can

give him something,” the cousin said.

One of Chkaifi’s two teenage sons —

who are aged 16 and 18 — added: “He

actually did something. He didn’t just

stand there recording on his phone. He

tried to stop him.”

Passers-by tried in vain to approach

as McCaskie repeatedly stabbed Chkai-

fi and threatened anyone who came

near. Witnesses said a driver who had

pulled over to try to help got back into

his blue Renault Clio and drove into the

knifeman. Some witnesses said Chkaifi,

who was stabbed repeatedly in the

chest, had also been struck by the car.

Chkaifi’s cousins and sons said that

McCaskie had several criminal convic-

tions. They described him as a monster

who had carried out a campaign of

abuse after Chkaifi separated from him.

Court records show that McCaskie

was wanted for failing to appear in court

on January 4 after breaching a stalking

order that banned him from contacting

Chkaifi by any means. “She had a panic

alarm in the house and no one to pro-

Yasmin Chkaifi

was attacked by

her former

partner Leon

McCaskie, left, on

a west London

street on Monday

morning. A driver

who hit McCaskie

with his car was

arrested on

suspicion of

murder and

has been bailed

Andrew selling £17m chalet to protect assets, lawyer claims

duke, claiming that he

sexually assaulted her

in 2001, when she was

17. Andrew denies her
    allegations.
    Andrew’s reason
    for selling the cha-
    let, worth an esti-
    mated £17 million, is
    unknown. It was

previously reported that

the sale may be to raise

money to cover his

legal expenses.

Kuvin said he did

not believe the

prince was selling

up in order to raise

money for an out-

of-court settlement.

“If Virginia gets a

judgment against An-

drew, if this went all the

way through to trial and she

The Swiss chalet is

being sold before the

Virginia Giuffre civil case

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