No credit in wake of undignified affair

It is hard to view the case of the Angus grandmother pictured urinating on Donald Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf course as anything other than a rather sad saga. Carol Rohan Beyts claimed she was caught short while out walking on the course, leaving her with no option but to find a discrete spot at which to relief herself.

That might have been the end of the matter, but it turned out she had been pictured by staff and Ms Beyts was then warned she may face prosecution for urinating in public.

Again, one might reasonably expect that common sense would have then prevailed, with a line drawn under the issue.

Instead, Ms Beyts decided to chase Trump International for damages, citing the upset the case had caused her.

Yesterday, that claim was thrown out. Again, one would have hoped that would be an end to the matter yet — within an hour — Mr Trump’s team were branding Ms Beyts as a “shameless activist” who was “looking for trouble”.

Certainly, the development of this particular golf course has caused tensions to be raised and it would be foolish to do anything other than acknowledge that bad feeling has played a part in this case.

However, while the full facts behind what is really a rather sorry affair may never be fully known, some points are for certain — not least it has been a lengthy and no doubt costly case conducted with not even the barest modicum of dignity.