The deserter from the army who fled to the castle

A soldier who deserted the Household Cavalry was captured almost a decade later after appearing on Channel 4 renovating a £ 890,000 French chateau.

Billy Petherick, 33, went away without leave in 2009, starting a new life in France, marrying a local woman and buying and restoring the 40-room 18th-century mansion.

But the past caught up with him when he participated in the first series of Escape To The Chateau: DIY, a spin-off of the long-running Escape To The Chateau series.

When the show aired in 2018, the military was finally able to determine its exact address – the Chateau de la Basmaignee in Pays de la Loire, which has royal ties to Louis XIV and has its own lake.

Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire learned this week that Petherick deserted the Household Cavalry, who guard the Queen, in 2009 and never returned.

Prosecution Captain Daniel Lawlor said Petherick’s half-sister died that year and was bullied by colleagues as a result.

Billy Petherick, 33, went away without leave in 2009, starting a new life in France, marrying a local woman and buying and restoring the 40-room 18th-century mansion.

The army was finally able to determine its exact address in 2018 – the Chateau de la Basmaignee in Pays de la Loire, which has royal ties to Louis XIV and has its own lake.

“Private Petherick was absent without leave from July 2, 2009 until September 21, 2021 and intended to be absent without leave,” he said.

“Private Petherick has since moved to France, where he lives permanently, and is married with two children. With the money from the inheritance, he and his wife started a business in France.

The court heard that Petherick had fled to start a “changed” life in France, where his parents lived. He falls in love and marries a Frenchwoman, Gwendoline Mouchel.

When the couple bought the castle in 2016, thanks to a bequest from Mrs Petherick’s late mother, there was no electricity, no running water and 90 rotten windows. Together with his brother Michael, Petherick set out to do this, starting his own bed and breakfast business.

The court heard that in 2014, French authorities were contacted to locate him, and three years later an arrest warrant was issued.

After finally establishing his whereabouts in 2018, a British Army official approached Petherick and persuaded him to return to Britain, the court said.

In August of this year, Petherick returned to the UK and was arrested. The reason for the delay in his return is unclear. He appeared in Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court the following month on charges of being AWOL.

“After his 12-year absence, his unit has no plans to return,” said Captain Lawlor. Petherick pleaded guilty to desertion and was fired from the military, but avoided jail time.

Sentencing the former soldier, Judge Advocate Robert Hill said: “You have no interest in the military and the military has no interest in seeing you return.”

The Château de la Basmaignee was described in the Channel 4 program as having six floors and 22 rooms.

It has over 60 acres of parkland with a scenic forest, a tennis court, a private chapel, and a separate building that once housed servants.

Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire learned this week that Petherick deserted the Household Cavalry, who guard the Queen, in 2009 and never returned.

The castle was named after the Basmaignee family, who were advisers to Louis XIV, who ruled France from 1643 until his death in 1715.

On the show, Petherick says, “I moved here [to France] about six years ago. My parents were already living here and I thought I would give it a try. It’s a bit of a fantasy, living in a castle … it’s always been a bit of a dream.

The program made no mention of his ties to the military.

The main series, Escape To The Chateau, starring Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel, draws three million viewers every Sunday, making it one of Channel 4’s most popular shows.