Princess Diana's niece Lady Amelia appears in court accused of 'kicking and hitting man on crutches in McDonald's queue'

Princess Diana's niece Lady Amelia appears in court accused of 'kicking and hitting man on crutches in McDonald's queue' - Princess Diana’s niece has appeared in a South African court charged with drunkenly assaulting a man who was on crutches.

Lady Amelia Spencer and a friend’s boyfriend are accused of carrying out the attack during a late-night row outside a McDonald’s in Cape Town.

The blonde heiress is alleged to have ‘flicked a cigarette butt’ into 27-year-old Ricci Cinti’s taxi before ‘swearing at, slapping and kicking’ him.

Yesterday the 18-year-old appeared in court with John Barbis, 24-year-old boyfriend of her friend Taryn Morris.

Lady Amelia and Barbis stood silently during the ten-minute hearing as their lawyers argued that the case should be dropped. William Booth, for Lady Amelia, said he was in discussions with South Africa’s Director of Public Prosecutions about it being withdrawn.

He has previously claimed there is no physical evidence that Lady Amelia attacked Mr Cinti. Mr Booth is also understood to have argued that Lady Amelia had ‘suffered enough’ as a result of intense Press interest in the case.

At court: Lady Amelia Spencer yesterday

She is accused of launching her attack after spending the evening of December 28 at a nightclub celebrating her sister Kitty’s 20th birthday. According to reports, afterwards, at around 2.30am on December 29, she visited a McDonald’s, where she met Barbis.

The pair were said to be queuing at the drive-through counter when a taxi, in which Mr Cinti was a passenger, cut in front of them. That, allegedly, prompted Lady Amelia and Barbis to begin their attack.

Mr Cinti has claimed that he was pulled out of his car and knocked to the ground. He says he was concussed and suffered a swollen jaw.

Police said Barbis also uses his stepfather’s surname and is known as Johnny Katz.

Neither defendant has yet entered a plea. The case was adjourned until April 1.

Lady Amelia is one of four children of Charles Spencer and his first wife Victoria Lockwood, a former model.

Following their parents’ acrimonious split, all four were brought up in Cape Town. They will one day share their father’s £100million fortune.

Lady Amelia is cousin to Prince William and is expected to attend his wedding.

Scrum: Lady Amelia (back) leaves court yesterday with her mother Victoria Lockwood

Earl Spencer and ex-wife Victoria Lockwood show off their twins Eliza and Amelia in 1992. It is believed Eliza may have been with Amelia in the car during the alleged attack

The heiress, pictured right in a silver dress with her twin Eliza and Prince Harry at a service of thanksgiving for Princess Diana at The Guards Chapel in London, was dressed in black leggings, a black top and a grey cardigan at today's hearing ( dailymail.co.uk )