Man threatened to "snap neck" of hotel employee

Wednesday 15 January 2025

A 63-year-old man has admitted to threatening to kill a hotel employee who told him he was not allowed to smoke inside.

David Foote also admitted harassing a woman, and damaging a fire extinguisher and two police cell doors when he appeared in the Magistrate's Court this week.

He has been remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing.

The court heard that Foote was previously barred from Jersey, but was allowed to return to the island in November.

Advocate Paul Lee, prosecuting, said: “Police have had to deal with him numerous times.”

He said Foote lit a cigarette inside the Premier Inn in Bath Street and was told by a member of staff that he was not allowed to smoke there.

“He [Foote] threatened to kill him, he said he would ‘snap his neck’. The employee ran from his workstation,” Advocate Lee said.

Foote also got in touch with a woman he had known in Jersey 20 years earlier and began harassing her.

Advocate Lee said that on Saturday, Foote was drunk and disorderly in the Royal British Legion Club in Great Union Street.

When he was refused service he threw a fire extinguisher, causing £179 worth of damage.

The advocate added that the following day Foote damaged the doors of two different cells in the police station.

Foote admitted behaving in a threatening manner, harassment, being disorderly on premises, and three separate counts of malicious damage.

He was not represented in court.

Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke ordered a pre-sentence report and refused Foote bail due to concerns that he would re-offend or fail to return to court for his sentencing.

He was remanded in custody until his sentencing on 27 January.

The Assistant Magistrate told Palmer: “The language was disturbing and the timing was particularly unpleasant.”

But he added: “I am pleased you are making an effort to help yourself. It is clear that alcohol is the root cause of this. You must keep away from it.”