Naked OAP and wife went on drunken hotel rampage threatening to stab and shoot staff
A NAKED pensioner ran amok with a pair of scissors while his wife threatened to shoot staff during a late night rampage at a luxury hotel.
Staff were so scared of the crazed couple they fled and ran two miles to the safety of the nearest village.
Retired chartered surveyor Robert Fergus, 72, was naked as he ran amok in the reception of the MacDonald Loch Rannoch Hotel in Perthshire.
His wife Ruth, 69, wearing only a nightie, threatened to gun down staff and the couple’s weekend break ended with both in police cells.
Fergus, a school charity fundraiser, picked up a restaurant sign and smashed a window and used the scissors to slash cables at the reception.
After their rampage the couple left the hotel in their £65,000 BMW and Fergus was later stopped drunk at the wheel.
He sat shame-faced in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday as the couple were described as being ‘out of control’ during the bizarre episode.
Fergus was fined £2,750 and ordered to pay the hotel £800 to cover the damage he caused on February 4.
He admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner with a pair of scissors, while shouting, swearing and threatening violence towards Scott and Marcelene Glen, Tomasz Baraonnski and Julia Titkova.
He also admitted destroying property. He was banned from driving for a year for being around twice the legal limit as he and his wife fled the hotel.
His wife, who was not in court, was fined £1,350 for causing fear or alarm at the hotel by threatening guests and staff with violence.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court: ‘They were resident in the hotel and were seen to be intoxicated at 5pm. At 1.45am Scott Glen was woken by banging on his hotel room door.
‘He saw Ruth Fergus in the hallway. He noticed she was intoxicated and appeared confused. She began shouting “are you being f ***** g funny?”.’
Mr Glen went to reception to tell staff and at that point Mr Fergus appeared with no clothes on and began hurling foul-mouthed abuse at the staff and guests in the foyer.
Mr Sweeney said: ‘Both accused were acting as if they were out of control. He was observed to have a pair of scissors. Mrs Fergus said “I’m going to get a gun and shoot you” at Miss Titkova.
‘On seeing the scissors, Miss Titkova shouted at the other staff and guests to run.’
Fergus then stormed through the foyer telling witnesses he would ‘kill’ them.
Staff and guests ran from the hotel towards Kinloch Rannoch. The couple were eventually pulled over by police near Tummel Bridge.
Fergus claimed in interviews the couple’s ‘lives were in danger from hotel staff’ but CCTV footage showed clear evidence of the rampage.
Solicitor Ewan Cameron, for Mr Fergus, said: ‘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.’
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, for Mrs Fergus, said her client reacted badly to the alcohol she drank because she had eaten little during the day.
Sheriff Gillian Wade said: ‘I don’t think I need to tell you it’s a sorry state of affairs.’
Fergus, of Troon, Ayrshire, refused to comment as he left court.
‘I’m going to shoot you’