The aristocrat granddaughter of a Perthshire estate owner has appeared in court accused of taking part in a pro-Palestinian protest in London.
Doone Stormonth Darling, 26, faces allegations that she and four others sprayed red paint at the door of Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence contractor’s office in city’s Kingsway.
It is alleged that activists used fire extinguishers filled with paint to damage the entrance to the building in October last year.
Stormonth Darling’s family own a sprawling estate near Blairgowrie.
It was the backdrop for her 21st birthday party, which was featured in a photospread for glossy Tatler magazine.
Her grandfather was estate owner and former stokebroker and City regulator Robin Stormonth Darling, who died in 2009.
Stormonth Darling, Flora Thomas, 26, Joely Thomas, 29, Anthony Bardos, 56, and 25-year-old Jocelyn Cooney all face one count of criminal damage to “property and clothing” valued at under £5,000, and conspiracy to destroy or damage such property.
They all made no pleas during a brief appearance at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, the Daily Mail reported.
Stormonth Darling, whose address was listed as Lambeth, was granted bail on condition that she does not enter Kingsway, Holborn, ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing in Southwark Crown Court at the beginning of April.
Prosecutor Damla Ayas said: “Protest groups have attended and occupied the roof of the factory building of Elbit.
“There were spray fire extinguishers filled with red paint and they were carrying tubs filled with red paint.
“It has caused criminal damage to the building in question.”
Israeli-based Elbit Systems describes itself as an “international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defence, homeland security and commercial programs”.
The company sell military hardware such as remote control drones, known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), to military forces across the globe.
It previously faced allegations that one of its subsidiaries, Cyberbit, sold and operated spyware that targeted Ethiopian dissidents and journalists in 2017.
