A hotel owner who has been dubbed ‘the female Basil Fawlty’ launched a series of drunken attacks on her staff and police, a court heard today.
Former barrister Shirley Bothroyd, 59, who was a human rights lawyer and worked alongside ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Booth, owned and ran the Bay Hotel in Teignmouth, just down the road from the Torquay setting of John Cleese’s all-time comedy great.
The eccentric businesswoman, who bought the hotel for £1.5million with a nest egg from her 30 year legal career, is on trial for allegedly attacking several of her employees.
She is accused of slapping and pulling the hair out of one of her chefs, thoriwng a plant pot at her barman, branding a receptionist ‘thick’ and tossing a Guinness at a police officer.
Bothroyd, from Devon, who said she is an alcoholic in recovery, claimed her drinks had been spiked and her drunken condition was ‘involuntary intoxication’.
Former barrister Shirley Bothroyd (arriving at court today), 59, from Devon, claimed her drinks had been spiked and her drunken condition was ‘involuntary intoxication
Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court heard she admitted hitting hotel chef Pauline Cave.
Miss Cave said in a statement that one early evening in June Bothroyd wanted the key to the locked kitchen in her Bay Hotel in the seaside town of Teignmouth.
Miss Cave said the kitchen was always locked on the advice on police because of ‘previous incidents’.
The chef said: ‘I said she could not have the key. I turned to walk away and the next thing I knew Shirley had grabbed my hair from behind and pulled me down to the floor by my hair and repeatedly slapping my right cheek.’
She tried to move her head to stop her hitting the cook who said ‘quite a lot of her hair was pulled out’ during the assault which lasted a few minutes.
Bothroyd admitted being annoyed with 25 year old Hannah Glover when she threw two inches of wine at her and threw a glass towards her.
And she admitted being angry with Pauline Cave when she attacked her because she had refused to get some ‘mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic’ from the locked kitchen for her.
She said the kitchen locks had been changed ‘behind my back’ and Miss Cave had been grossly subordinate.
The court heard that Bothroyd allegedly attacked other staff and the manager.
The court heard she tossed a pint of drink – Guinness, red wine and cranberry juice – at a policeman called to the hotel.
The court heard she tossed a pint of drink – Guinness, red wine and cranberry juice – at a policeman called to the hotel
The magistrates were told that she was sat in a bar watching TV – even though the ceiling had fallen in because of burst water pipes.
And the court was also told that she set off a fire extinguisher in her top floor penthouse during a fight with an ex partner.
The JPs heard she was aggressive and very drunk during the incidents.
After her arrest for pouring the drink on the policeman Bothroyd told fellow officers that she was ‘cleverer then God’ and said she did it because the policeman had called her a liar.
Prosecutor Shaun Tipton said that there were three different incidents which happened between June and July.
The assaults were caught on CCTV which was shown to the JPs.
Bothroyd also admitted a second charge of a public order offence involving receptionist Hannah Glover.
Bothroyd, pictured outside the Bay Hotel
Mr Tipton said Bothroyd asked Miss Glover to say she wanted to use a telephone – but it was broken.
Bothroyd then screamed at Miss Glover calling her a ‘thick, useless c***’.
The five foot tall former lawyer followed Miss Glover out of the bar area to the reception and called her a ‘liar and a c***’.
Bothroyd, who was shouting and pointing her finger aggressively was also holding a glass of wine, and threw the drink and then the glass towards her – the glass smashing on the floor.
The court heard that City of London fund manager Christian Holland was a friend of Bothroyd’s for 15 years and was trying to help her out with the running of the financially hit seafront hotel.
He said Bothroyd came into the bar and wanted to use a phone. But he was talking on his own phone and she went up to him and hit him.
Mr Holland stood up and pushed her away and she fell over some chairs as he left.
He said she used her clenched fist and she struck the side of his face and calling him a ‘f***ing c***’.
The court heard on one day in June she assaulted Jay French and Stephen Fenton.
She slapped Mr Fenton’s face with her open palm.
Mr French said Bothroyd turned up in drink and demanding he called her an ambulance.
The court heard she picked up a green ceramic plant pot and held it behind her head as if she was going to throw it – which she then did as she shouted abuse, said Mr Tipton.
She did not answer any police questions in interviews after she was arrested.
In a 999 call to police one July night she told the operator ‘she was a famous barrister who owned the Bay Hotel in Teignmouth’.
Bothroyd said she was a schizophrenic with autism but later did apologise to policeman for throwing the drink over him
She claimed her fiancé was being violent towards her and was in the hotel with a fire extinguisher.
She alleged she had caught him in her office trying to set fire to paperwork.
The hotel had been closed for several weeks by the fire service because of the water damage – and staff said she was also banned from being served alcohol in her own premises.
When handcuffed and arrested she said she was a ‘barrister who earned millions’.
She called police ‘plastic pigs’ and said she was ‘a genius’ who had defended police in courts for years.
Bothroyd also said she was a schizophrenic with autism but later did apologise to policeman for throwing the drink over him.
Bothroyd denies four assaults and her trial is continuing today.
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