Judge seeks High Court help with evidence about Prince Andrew from ex-assistant in sex assault case

The UK High Court has been asked to help obtain evidence about Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from his former assistant, after a formal request from a New York judge.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre - the Duke of York's accuser in the civil sex assault claim - had requested help to get testimony from Robert Olney, Prince Andrew's former equerry.

Ms Giuffre's lawyers say his name and phone number were in the contacts book of Epstein and that the former assistant would likely have knowledge of his relationship with Prince Andrew.

Judge Lewis A Kaplan asked for Mr Olney to be quizzed on topics such as the Duke’s communications with Maxwell, Epstein and Ms Giuffre, who is suing Andrew for damages in her home country of the US.

She claims she was trafficked by disgraced financier Epstein, Andrew’s friend and a convicted paedophile, to have sex with the royal when she was 17, at Maxwell’s London home in the early 2000s.

The Duke, who has strenuously denied all allegations, is also alleged to have sexually abused Ms Giuffre during a visit to Epstein’s private island, Little St James, and on a separate occasion at the financier’s Manhattan mansion.

In a separate letter to the High Court, Judge Kaplan also requested testimony from a woman who claims to have seen Andrew in Tramp nightclub.

The court documents state that Shukri Walker’s evidence should include questions about the presence of the Duke and Ms Giuffre at the nightclub in March 2001 and any interactions the pair had.

In letters to the Australian Attorney General, Judge Kaplan requested assistance in obtaining testimony from Ms Giuffre’s husband Robert and her psychologist Dr Judith Lightfoot.

The judge asked for Mr Giuffre’s testimony to include how he met Ms Giuffre, his discussions with her about Andrew, her alleged childhood trauma and abuse, and her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.

The letter requests Mr Giuffre’s testimony also include all claims Ms Giuffre has made against the Duke, her alleged emotional and psychological harm and damages, her role in trafficking and recruiting young girls for Epstein and the Giuffre household’s finances.

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In a separate letter to Dr Lightfoot, Judge Kaplan has asked her evidence to include Ms Giuffre’s medical treatment, her diagnosis of Ms Giuffre, matters discussed during their sessions, and claims made about Andrew.

Testimony is also sought from Dr Lightfoot about her opinions of the alleged psychological harm suffered by Ms Giuffre, theory of false memories and the consequences of her childhood trauma.

Andrew previously took the dramatic decision to face his accuser in court and become the first member of the modern royal family to submit to being cross-examined over serious allegations.

Criticism of the royal has been mounting after the Queen stripped him of his remaining patronages and honorary military roles as the monarchy distanced itself from him ahead of potentially damaging developments in his lawsuit.David Boies, who is representing Ms Giuffre in her lawsuit against Andrew, said his client and legal team were looking forward to “confronting” the royal about his “denials”.

Judge Kaplan has requested that the testimony of all four witnesses be completed by April 29.