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Pere Daobry: Bodyguard pictured with Harry and Meghan is an ex-cop who nearly choked his wife to death

51-year-old Pere Daobry was seen driving the Sussexes in a Range Rover as they left Frogmore cottage en route to London's Euston station
PUBLISHED SEP 28, 2022
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly driven by ex-Met officer Pere Daobry (inset) as they left Frogmore Cottage (Matt Dunham/Getty Images, Met Police)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly driven by ex-Met officer Pere Daobry (inset) as they left Frogmore Cottage (Matt Dunham/Getty Images, Met Police)

LONDON, ENGLAND: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pictured with a bodyguard who is reportedly a former Met Police officer convicted of strangling his wife and leaving her "seconds away from death."

51-year-old Pere Daobry was seen driving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a Range Rover as they left Frogmore cottage en route to London's Euston station. The former Met police officer was reportedly convicted at Colchester Magistrates Court in September 2016 for attacking his wife, Sarah Jay, a former Essex Police sergeant, after she told him she didn't love him anymore.

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According to the Daily Mail, Daobry avoided jail after judges noted that he called 999 and confessed to his crime. However, his wife later killed herself after describing him as a "lunatic." The revelation comes as Meghan has, for a long time, championed women's rights, specifically in connection to gender-based violence. The former actress said in a 2019 ActionAid speech in South Africa that men and boys should be held accountable for their actions.



 

"When you consider how outspoken Meghan is on women's issues it's quite amazing that a bodyguard with that sort of background has been employed," a source told the newspaper. "His wife Sarah went through a really traumatic time with him and I'm sure if Meghan and Harry knew the full story they wouldn't be at all comfortable with him being employed as their bodyguard. It was such a shock when I saw the picture and recognized Pere instantly - he is quite tall and distinctive and he has significant scarring on his face so he's quite recognizable." The insider added, "Pere treated Sarah appallingly and she had to escape through a window twice to get away from him. I really don't think Harry and Meghan would want someone like him guarding them."

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives at Westminster Abbey for The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrives at Westminster Abbey for The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022, in London, England (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

"I suffered at the hands of this lunatic for two years," Jay said in an emotional interview after Daobry skipped imprisonment. "I am devastated he isn't behind bars. He deserves to be. For any man to do this is terrible - for a policeman to do what he did is outrageous. He nearly killed me. All he got is a slap on the wrists. What deterrent is that for other men?" She continued, "When I met him I was a strong, confident, capable woman. I could never have imagined being a victim of domestic violence. I was terrified, isolated, and had no one to turn to." Jay added, "I was only seconds away from death - that terrifies me."

She recalled the incident in December 2015, which reportedly took place following an argument in their bedroom. "I suggested he go to the gym to calm down and moved away to get away from him," Jay said. "He grabbed me. The next thing I remember was being on my back. I was struggling to breathe. I could feel his rage. He had his hands around my neck and was choking me. All I could concentrate on was staying alive. I was gasping for breath but couldn't get any in. I realized I had to lay still, not struggle and breathe through my nose. Trying to do that was the last thing I remember."

The Colchester Magistrates' Court heard how the 6ft 7in bodybuilder, who worked for the Met for 12 years, told the 999 dispatcher, "I want to report an assault and I am the perpetrator. I have assaulted my wife." When the operator asked if his wife needed an ambulance, the father-of-four responded, "Yeah, I tried to strangle her." Daobry was reportedly married to Jay for two years before he strangled her. He later denied the assault but was found guilty after a trial. However, he was only handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence, a year-long restraining order, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

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Daobry was photographed driving Harry and Meghan's Range Rover alongside Dave Langdown, a former Met colleague who received the Royal Victorian Medal from the Queen for his services to the Royal Family. Langdown, who currently works for US firm Broadstone Risks, previously accompanied the Sussexes on their royal engagements in the UK. Harry and Meghan are believed to be paying for Langdown and Daobry's services after they were denied taxpayer-funded official armed police bodyguards, the Daily Mail reported.

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