Marco Pierre White's wife cleared of attack as son 'too hungover' for court Published duration 12 July 2016

image copyright PA image caption Marco Pierre White Jr told police he had been at a party and could not appear in court

The estranged wife of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White has been cleared of assaulting her son after he told police he was "too hungover" to be in court.

Matilde Conejero, who is separated from Mr White, had been accused of kicking and biting her sons Marco Jr and Luciano in a Chiswick flat in 2015.

But the trial collapsed after neither witness turned up to give evidence at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

The prosecution said Marco Jr had been at a party and was "too hungover".

Prosecutor Katie Weiss told the court police had also been unable to make contact with his brother Luciano.

Ms Conejero was accused of kicking Marco Jr repeatedly in the groin then dragging him along by his hair at his west London flat on 20 September.

She then allegedly lashed out at her other son Luciano and bit him on the arm after he tried to separate the pair.

image copyright PA image caption Matilde Conejero denied two counts of common assault by beating

District Judge Deborah Wright dismissed the case after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Michael Smith, defending, said Celebrity Big Brother contestant Marco Jr had an "utterly outrageous" attitude to the criminal justice system.

Ms Conejero, 51, of Chiswick High Road, had been accused of two counts of common assault by beating.

She denied the charges and claimed she was acting in self defence.

image copyright PA image caption Marco Jr was the first contestant to be evicted from this year's Celebrity Big Brother