Pippa Middleton’s father-in-law David Matthews returns to UK in private jet after facing child sex quiz
David Matthews, 74, was seen arriving at Fairoaks Airport in Woking this morning
PIPPA Middleton’s father-in-law has returned to the UK in a private jet after being quizzed on child sex allegations.
David Matthews, 74, was seen arriving at Fairoaks Airport in Woking this morning.
The multi-millionaire businessman was quizzed in March by French authorities over an alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl in the late 1990s.
In April, a second woman came forward to accuse Mr Matthews of rape.
She’s understood to have claimed that Mr Matthews forced her to have sex with him in the 1980s. Detectives from South Yorkshire Police are investigating.
Born the son of a coal miner in Rotherham, Mr Matthews has strenuously denied the allegations against him.
The tycoon — dad to Pippa’s husband James, 42, and Made in Chelsea star Spencer, 29 — was accused of two offences between 1998 and 1999 by a woman now in her 30s.
One is said to have happened on the Caribbean island of St Barts, where Mr Matthews owns the £5,000-a-night Eden Rock Hotel. The second allegedly took place in Paris.
It is understood the complainant lives in London and once had close links to the £5,000-a-night Eden Rock Hotel, which Mr Matthews bought after visiting French-speaking St Barts in 1975.
A Paris judicial official confirmed that Mr Matthews was placed in police custody on March 27.
"The Paris public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation, overseen by an examining magistrate, who charged him with the rape of a minor," the official said.
"He was placed under judicial supervision. The investigation alleges that the crimes were committed in 1998 and 1999. The investigations will now continue as a judicial investigation and will be led by an investigating judge."
He was held for 48 hours and questioned before appearing at the Palais de Justice, where he was charged with the 'rape of a minor by a person with authority over his victim'.
Mr Matthews' official status with French prosecutors is 'mis en examen', which is widely considered to be similar to being charged in the UK, although there is no exact equivalent in the British legal system.
He has since been released on bail, although he is expected to return to Paris as the investigation continues.
Authorities have up to six months to decide whether he should stand trial or the charges should be dropped.
The maximum sentence for rape in France is 15 years in prison, or up to 20 years if the victim was under 15.
Mr Matthews amassed a £40 million fortune by selling a successful second hand car business and moving into property development and hotel ownership.
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A spokesman for Mr Matthews said of the French probe: “David Matthews categorically denies the allegation and unequivocally contests the untrue and scandalous accusation.”
James Matthews married Pippa, 34 — the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister — last summer.
South Yorkshire Police declined to comment.