Two “out of control” people rampaged through a hotel, threatening guests and staff and destroying property in a bizarre incident, a court has heard.
Guests at the Macdonald Loch Rannoch hotel fled the lobby to escape Robert Fergus, 72, and his 69-year-old wife, Ruth, in February.
Mr Fergus ran naked with a pair of scissors in the public reception of the resort hotel and smashed through a pane of glass. He used the scissors to cut communications cables at the reception and was eventually caught drunk at the wheel of his BMW, Perth sheriff court heard.
Mrs Fergus, meanwhile, threatened to shoot a staff member after reacting badly to the alcohol she consumed, the BBC reported.
Michael Sweeney, fiscal depute, said the incident began after a guest was woken by banging on his door at 1.45am and saw Mrs Fergus, who became abusive, in the hallway. The guest informed reception, after which Mr Fergus appeared with no clothes on and began shouting abuse at the staff and guests in the foyer.
“Both accused were acting as if they were out of control,” Sweeney said. “He was observed to have a pair of scissors. Mrs Fergus said: ‘I’m going to get a gun and shoot you,’ at [staff member] Miss Titkova.
“On seeing the scissors, Miss Titkova shouted at the other staff and guests to run. They saw Mr Fergus pick up a sign and smash a glass pane in the door with it.”
At this point, Mr Fergus apparently tore through the foyer telling witnesses: “I’m going to slit you and kill you.”
Staff and guests ran from the hotel towards the village of Kinloch Rannoch, and the couple returned to their rooms to pack before driving off towards Perth.
The court heard that they flagged down a passing police car and accused hotel staff of attacking them.
Robert gave a positive breath test but told officers: “I had no intention of driving but I was forced to. Our lives were in danger from hotel staff.”
But CCTV footage at the hotel proved his story to be false.
The couple, of Troon, were fined £4,100, and Mr Fergus was also ordered to pay the hotel £800 compensation to cover the cost of the damage.
He admitted causing fear or alarm at the hotel by threatening guests and staff with violence. His solicitor, Ewan Cameron, said he had previously been of good character and was both a senior committee member at his local rugby club and a member of the fundraising committee for a local school for disabled children.
“He consumed much more alcohol than was sensible. He retired to bed but was roused by his wife who said she had been on the receiving end of hostility from hotel staff. He reacted disproportionately by going to reception to confront them.”
Mrs Fergus’s solicitor, Pauline Cullerton, said her client reacted badly to the alcohol she drank because she had eaten little during the day.
Sheriff Gillian Wade told Robert Fergus the incident was “a very sorry state of affairs”. She said: “I have no doubt you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
