Monaco's Prince Pierre Casiraghi in hospital after vicious brawl in Manhattan nightclub
- Witnesses say the son of Princess Caroline was left with facial wounds after punch flung him across a room
- Former club owner Adam Hock is charged by police with assault
By Anthony Bond and Rachel Quigley
Last updated at 11:00 PM on 20th February 2012
A vicious nightclub brawl resulted in Monaco’s Prince Pierre Casiraghi needing hospital treatment, it has emerged.
The brawl broke out at the trendy Double Seven nightclub in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan on Saturday.
It is believed the fight started following a late-night confrontation between the 24-year-old prince - who is the son of Princess Caroline and grandson of Grace Kelly - and his friends and former Manhattan club owner Adam Hock.
Court: Prince Pierre Casiraghi, pictured, and his friends were accused by lawyers of being jealous because Adam Hock was with a group of beautiful women, referring to them as 'trust-fund babies' and 'spoiled brats'
Friends: Stavros Niarchos III, heir to a Greek shipping fortune was with his girlfriend, model, Jessica Hart, when the fight broke out and he tried to help the prince
Speaking to the New York Post, one witness said: 'Pierre’s face looked broken, with deep cuts and blood everywhere. He looked like he needed plastic surgery.'
According to the paper, Mr Hock, 47, was partying with his friends - which included supermodels Natasha Poly, Valentina Zalyaeva and Anja Rubik - when the young prince walked up to their table at about 2.30am.
He was joined by Paris Hilton's ex-boyfriend Stavros Niarchos III and two other men.
Brawl: It is believed the fight started following a late-night confrontation between the 24-year-old prince and his friends and former Manhattan club owner Adam Hock, pictured
According to members of Mr Hock's group, the prince and his friends began insulting the models and started drinking from a $500 bottle of vodka on their table.
Witnesses allege that Mr Hock then punched the prince.
One onlooker told the newspaper that the force of the punch resulted in Mr Casiraghi flying across the room and landing on a table on the other side.
Mr Hock also allegedly punched Mr Niarchos, 26, who was there with his Sports Illustrated model girlfriend Jessica Hart.
He is then said to have started punching the two other men with them, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, 27, and Diego Marroquin, 33.
The prince was taken to the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center with his injuries but was released later on Saturday.
Mr Hock has been charged by police with four counts of third-degree assault for the alleged attacks on Casiraghi, Niarchos and the two other men.
During a court hearing in Manhattan yesterday, he said he was the victim.
According to the New York Post, he said: 'I was defending myself and others. Why aren’t [Casiraghi and his pals] handcuffed?'
However, friends of the prince said Mr Hock started the fight.
Models: Natasha Poly, left, and Anja Rubik, right, were with Adam Hock in the Double Seven club when he allegedly started a vicious brawl with Prince Pierre of Monaco
Confrontation: The brawl broke out at the trendy Double Seven nightclub in Manhattan. This is an image from inside the club
Mr Hock's lawyer, Salvatore Strazzullo, accused the prince and his friends of being jealous because his client was with a group of beautiful women.
He added: 'These four guys are trust-fund babies who think the world is owed to them. They are like spoiled brats.'
Richard Golub, representing the prince and his friends, said, 'It was a horrifying incident and entirely unprovoked.'
Mr Hock was released but is due back in court next month.
Members of the Monaco royal family, from left, Pierre Casaraghi (behind his aunt) Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi, Andrea Casiraghi, Princess Caroline of Hanover and Princess Alexandra of Hanover
Royalty: (L to R) Princess Stephanie of Monaco , Princess Caroline of Hanover, Princess Charlene, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Charlotte, Pierre Casiraghi and Alexandra
Witnesses at the club said Hock was the instigator of the fight.
One eye witness told the New York Post: 'The prince walked up to the table, and Adam just slammed him for no reason. Stavros jumped in to help Pierre, and then he got slammed in the face.'
Witnesses from both sides agree that someone in Casiraghi's party tried to crack a bottle of Grey Goose vodka over Hock's head.
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