The son of a London nightclub owner and businessman has appeared in court accused of killing his 70-year-old father.
David West, 44, who spoke only to confirm his full name and date of birth, was told by district judge Margot Coleman at Westminster magistrates court on Monday that his case will be heard at the crown court on 17 December.
She told West, of Jermyn Street in Mayfair, central London, that he would be detained until that date, when he would then be able to apply for bail.
David West Sr, an East End barrow boy who amassed a £100m fortune from businesses including nightclubs and strip bars, was labelled “king of the booze cruise” after selling £1 wine bottles and cigarettes to British coaches.
The businessman, who bought the title of Lord of the Manor of Hollesley on eBay and was known for his neon pink suits and crocodile skin shoes, once tried to sue David and Victoria Beckham for slander after they indicated that he was not welcome at their World Cup party despite paying £100,000 for a ticket. West said the couple had banned him from carrying a mobile phone at the ball in 2006 and told him his pink suit was against the dress code. A high court judge threw out the case.
A year later, he hired barrister Cherie Blair to fight the public smoking ban, which was a key policy of her husband Tony Blair’s government. She was given a tour of West Sr’s “erotic” nightclub, Hey Jo, which featured a bondage booth and waitresses dressed as nurses.
West Sr ran a lap dancing club, Puss In Boots, in Mayfair and a strip bar, Mandy’s. He also owned a talent firm and a restaurant called Abracadabra.
West Sr, from Romford, Essex, started as a market trader before opening budget cafes in Belgium and Calais with his wife, Kathy. He went on to see his company EastEnders become part of Europe’s largest British-owned cash-and-carry group which has its own wine label, The Dogs Bollocks. His 30-year marriage broke down in 1999 when he began a relationship with a 23-year-old French woman.
