US judge delivers double setback to Prince Andrew?s abuse case battle

Two of Prince Andrew's efforts to prevent or stall the progression of Virginia Roberts Giuffre's sex assault lawsuit against him were blocked on Saturday when a US federal judge ordered the prince's lawyers to turn over key legal documents, increasing pressure to settle claims before a crucial court hearing this week.

Judge Lewis A Kaplan, in a written order, told the prince's lawyers they must turn over documents on the schedule that has been set in the lawsuit brought by Guiffre who claims she was abused - aged 17 - by the prince on multiple occasions in 2001 while she was being sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Kaplan also rejected arguments by the prince's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, on jurisdiction grounds after they argued last week that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Giuffre, a US citizen, no longer lives in the US. Brettler has called the lawsuit "baseless".

The prince's lawyers claimed evidence was so strong that Giuffre does not reside in the US that it was pointless to exchange evidence until that question is resolved because it could result in the lawsuit's dismissal.

They argued that Giuffre has lived in Australia for all but two of the past 19 years, has an Australian driver's licence and lives in a $1.9m (£1.4m) home in Perth, Western Australia, where she and her husband, an Australian national, live with their three children.

In a statement, Giuffre's attorney, Sigrid McCawley, called the request to halt the case "just another in a series of tired attempts by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits of the case Virginia Giuffre has brought against him. All parties in litigation are subject to discovery and Prince Andrew is no exception."

Judge Kaplan, in a written order on Friday, noted the prince's lawyers have requested that "extensive" materials be turned over by Giuffre by 14 January, including documents related to where she has lived.