Care worker who inherited £50m estate after DNA test proved he was son of the aristocratic owner ‘broke man’s leg in pub fight’
Jordan Adlard-Rogers, who inherited the Penrose Estate in Cornwall after a DNA test established he was Charles Rogers’s son, is on trial over an alleged pub assault. He denies inflicting grievous bodily harm, accused of punching Sebastian Winzar during a dispute in July 2024.
The prosecution says CCTV shows Adlard-Rogers striking Winzar, who fell and fractured his leg in two places; he also had a swollen lip. Adlard-Rogers told police that Winzar had threatened him and that he punched him to make him leave him alone. Rogers died in 2018, and Adlard-Rogers became sole heir to the 1,536-acre estate in 2019; the family had given it to the National Trust in 1974 in return for a 1,000-year lease.
In short
- Estate heir Jordan Adlard-Rogers denies an assault charge.
- The alleged pub punch left a man with two leg fractures.
- The trial is under way at Truro Crown Court.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The prosecution’s case is that Adlard-Rogers punched Winzar during the dispute, and that CCTV and the resulting injuries support the allegation that the blow caused serious harm. If the evidence establishes that he used force beyond what was necessary to protect himself, he should be held accountable regardless of his inheritance or background.
The case against
Adlard-Rogers says Winzar threatened him and that he punched him to make him leave him alone, which could support a claim of self-defence depending on the circumstances and whether the force used was reasonable. The CCTV, witness accounts and medical evidence must be assessed at trial; the injury alone does not establish that he committed the offence, and he denies the charge.
Explained simply
The Penrose Estate is a large property in Cornwall, including land and buildings. The Rogers family gave it to the National Trust in 1974 in exchange for a long lease to continue living there.
Charles Rogers died in 2018. A DNA test established that Jordan Adlard-Rogers, who worked as a care worker, was his son, and he became the estate’s sole heir in 2019.
The trial concerns an alleged pub assault in July 2024, when Sebastian Winzar suffered a broken leg. Adlard-Rogers denies causing grievous bodily harm; the case matters because a court will decide whether the alleged assault is proved.