HOTELIER Shirley Bothroyd, 59, was jailed for 22 weeks yesterday (Mon, Oct 2) for a string of assaults on her staff.

Recovering alcoholic Bothroyd, who wept in the dock at Newton Abbot Magistrates’ Court as her sad decline was outlined, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Jay French, Stephen Fenton and two matters involving attacks on the hotel’s manager, Christian Holland.

Bothroyd, led into court in handcuffs for yesterday’s day-long trial, also denied assaulting PC Laing in the execution of his duty by throwing her drink over him.

The former barrister was on bail at the time of the offence.

She did admit assaulting Pauline Cave at the Bay Hotel in Powderham Terrace as well as a public order matter involving colleague Hannah Glover.

All the drink-fuelled incidents happened between June and July this year.

Her solicitor Mark Drew described his client’s behaviour as ‘a chaotic decline.’