Monaco's Prince Pierre Casiragh sues over Double Seven nightclub brawl

A son of Monaco's Princess Caroline is suing over a New York nightclub brawl that left him bloodied and led to another patron's arrest and both camps blaming each other.

Prince Pierre Casiraghi and two friends are taking on the Double Seven club, patron Adam Hock and Mr Hock's lawyer in the lawsuit.

Pierre, who was treated for facial cuts, says Mr Hock drunkenly attacked him and his cohorts after the club owner invited Mr Hock to sit with them at a VIP table in February. One of the prince's lawyers, Edward Kratt, said his client's group did not provoke the melee.

Mr Hock has pleaded not guilty to assault.

The prince's lawsuit says the club should not have served alcohol to Mr Hock and should have known he was "a person of pugilistic propensity".

The lawsuit also says Mr Hock and defence lawyer Joseph Tacopina defamed the prince and his cohorts by saying they started the February fracas and have a history of belligerence.

Mr Tacopina said his remarks were made to defend a falsely-accused client.

"If they don't like the truth, that's their problem," he said last night.

A lawyer for Double Seven owner Jeffrey Jah said he "unequivocally disputes" the accusations against him in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.

Mr Jah "intends to vigorously defend against them and is confident that he will ultimately prevail", said the lawyer, Terrence Oved.

Pierre is the youngest of Princess Caroline's four children. His father, Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi, was Caroline's second husband and was killed in a boating accident in 1990.

Caroline is a sister of Monaco's ruling sovereign, Prince Albert II.

Mr Hock used to be an owner of the Hawaiian Tropic Zone, a nightspot in Times Square.

PA