NYC Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Son of Prominent White Banker Accused of Assaulting, Strangling Ex-Girlfriend In a ‘Jealous Rage’ As Witnesses Overheard Attack

A New York comedian said she was disappointed to learn that prosecutors dropped charges against her ex-boyfriend — the son of a high-profile British banker — after he was accused of brutally beating and choking her last year.

Oliver Lane was charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault after he allegedly brutally beat Sienna Hubert-Ross at their apartment in August 2024.

But the Manhattan DA’s Office recently dropped the charges against Lane after offering him a plea deal.

“This is a travesty of justice,” Hubert-Ross, 25, told the New York Post. “I felt betrayed and re-victimized for myself and others.”

Hubert-Ross, a comedian known for her skits on Kamala Harris, filed a lawsuit claiming that 26-year-old Lane tried to murder her in a “jealous rage,” after she discovered he was sending intimate texts to his ex-girlfriend, according to a complaint cited by The Independent.

The complaint stated that when Lane attacked Hubert-Ross, he “violently threw her into a stove,” and then dragged her to the bathroom where he threw her in the bathtub. He hurled a number of insults and profanities at Hubert-Ross, calling her a “little c**t” and “little b****” while telling her he “wanted her to die,” the complaint alleges.

After Lane briefly left the room, Hubert-Ross placed a call to her mother who also dialed in one of Hubert-Ross’s friends and they both listened in horror as the attack continued, according to the suit.

When Lane returned, he threw Hubert-Ross on the floor where she hit her head against the bedframe and briefly lost consciousness, the complaint states. He also allegedly propped her up and slapped her across her face at full strength, then escalated the attack by taking a pillow and smothering her with it, according to the suit.

At some point, Hubert-Ross’s friend called 911 and when officers arrived, they found Hubert-Ross “beaten and terrified.” She filed a restraining order against Lane immediately after the attack.

Hubert-Ross stated that she suffered “emotional distress,” that has led to “a strong and ongoing dissociative interest in men and relationships and will likely result in years of ongoing expensive therapy and professional consulting.”

Lane was arrested and faced charges that could have landed him in prison for up to seven years if he was convicted. The DA’s office even signaled the case was strong but in December, prosecutors stated they wouldn’t move forward with the case.

A spokesperson said that prosecutors were hesitant to pursue the felony strangulation charge because there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove Hubert-Ross sustained physical injuries to her neck and that she lost consciousness during the attack.

The DA’s office did not say why they dropped the assault charge.

Prosecutors offered Lane a plea bargain for an “unreasonable noise” charge that would keep him out of jail as long as he submitted to more than a dozen therapy sessions and refrained from making contact or seeing Hubert-Ross until December 2026.

“In intimate-partner violence cases, we prioritize both the safety of the survivor and the safety of the community,” the spokesperson said. “Following a full investigation by our office, this resolution ensured accountability for the defendant with mandated therapy and, critically, a two-year order of protection in favor of the victim.”

Hubert-Ross’ lawyer Brian Gallaway stated that he’s now looking into why the DA’s office dropped the case despite the evidence of a brutal beating and the witnesses who overheard the attack, including Hubert-Ross’s mother and friend, as well as a neighbor.

Right now, Lane’s case file for his arrest is sealed.

“Oliver should not be walking the streets with just a slap on the wrist, free to do this to other young women,” Hubert-Ross stated, adding that Lane’s deal is “an example of rich white privilege taking priority over clear accountability.”

Lane is the son of Jonathan Lane, who once headed Morgan Stanley’s European real estate division and now sits on the board of a company that runs the roughly $9 billion estate of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster and one of the wealthiest men in Great Britain.

Hubert-Ross’ lawsuit against Lane is still pending.