Queen Elizabeth stunt double sentenced to 18 months for throwing girlfriend down staircase

A man who doubled as Queen Elizabeth for an Olympic stunt was sentenced to 18 months in prison for throwing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs.

Gary Connery, 53, was sentenced Tuesday at Oxford Crown Court, the Guardian reported.

Connery is a well-known stuntman and skydiver who once jumped from 2,400 feet without a parachute. But he’s perhaps best known for playing Queen Elizabeth during a skit at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony in London.

Gary Connery completes a stunt in May 2012, shortly before his appearance as Queen Elizabeth. (Eddie Keogh/)

The skit showed a video of Daniel Craig’s James Bond picking up the Queen before they both appeared to get into a helicopter headed for the Olympic stadium. At the stadium, Connery (dressed as the Queen) and Mark Sutton (Bond) parachuted down to thunderous applause.

During an October 2020 argument with his then-girlfriend, Connery threw the woman down a staircase, according to the Guardian. The attack left the woman with a broken shoulder. Connery was convicted of grievous bodily harm without intent.

“It is abundantly clear that you have shown absolutely no remorse for what happened and accept no fault on your behalf,” Judge Nigel Daly said while sentencing Connery, according to CNN.

In a statement read for the court, Connery’s ex-girlfriend said, “I just want Gary to take responsibility for what he’s done and for what he’s put us through as a family.”