Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has said he came face-to-face with an alleged stalker who chased him in a confrontation near his Sandringham home, a court has heard.
Alex Jenkinson, 39, is charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards the former Prince in Norfolk on May 6.
Suffolk Police are also applying for a civil Stalking Protection Order against Jenkinson, based on evidence from Andrew, and searches carried out on Jenkinson’s phone.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram read out quotes from Andrew’s witness statement, which is expected to form a central part of both legal proceedings, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The former Duke of York said that while out walking his dogs on the estate, he spotted a car he believed belonged to press photographers.
He said he and his security detail then “drove past the car”.
He said a man “turned and faced me – he was wearing a balaclava face covering”.
Andrew provided a description of the “out-of-place” man and added in his statement: “I then saw a loose dog running towards him.
“Then he realised who I was and began to sprint after my vehicle.”
Thursday’s court hearing took place in Jenkinson’s absence after he arrived with his dog, Indie, and was blocked from entering the building by court officials.
As Jenkinson stood on the pavement outside, his lawyer, Claire Howell, told Judge Ikram: “He has had to bring his dog with him, so he wasn’t allowed inside the court.
“He is homeless and currently in accommodation in a Travelodge.
“He is not allowed to leave the dog there. It provides him with support, he suffers from ADHD.”
She conceded that she had no documents to prove Jenkinson’s medical condition or his need for a support animal, and the judge told her: “I’m not prepared to have a dog in the courtroom simply because he is homeless and he happens to keep a dog.
“I’m not saying he is not telling the truth but there’s nothing to corroborate it.”
He added: “We accommodate people who have ADHD and have support animals. I would want something more than he is homeless and happens to have a dog.”
The judge approved an application to adjourn the police bid for a Stalking Protection Order and ruled that the hearing could proceed in Jenkinson’s absence.
Jenkinson is accused of causing the former Duke of York to “fear unlawful violence” during a confrontation in Wolferton, near his Marsh Farm property.
He was detained under the Mental Health Act for around a month afterwards and has pleaded guilty to failing to provide a blood sample while in custody on May 6.
However, he denies the public order offence against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
He has also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence against Stephen Terry in King’s Lynn on May 5.
Andrew is due to give evidence via video link at the criminal trial, which has been scheduled for December 21.
Jenkinson, from Stowmarket, Suffolk, is also challenging the proposed Stalking Protection Order.
As part of the criminal proceedings, he remains on bail with conditions preventing him from going near several sites linked to the royal family, including Sandringham, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, Windsor, and Highgrove.
He is also banned from contacting Andrew directly or indirectly, approaching him, or entering Norfolk.
At the end of Thursday’s hearing, Judge Ikram extended the interim Stalking Protection Order against Jenkinson.
He set a pre-trial hearing at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court for January 22, with the final hearing due to take place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 16.
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