Man, 75, and woman, 66, charged over Trump Turnberry vandalism

A man and a woman in Oban have become the latest to be charged over vandalism at Donald Trump’s golf course in South Ayrshire.

Red paint was thrown over the Turnberry clubhouse while the greens were dug up and marker flags were pulled down at around 4am on March 8.

The luxury golf resort is operated by the Trump Organisation which is owned by the US President.

Trump said anyone involved with causing the damage is a “terrorist” and that he hopes they are “treated harshly”.

A 75-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were arrested in Oban on March 26 before being released.

On Tuesday, April 15, Police Scotland said the pair had been charged. They are the sixth and seventh people to be charged over the incident.

They are due to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Police said investigations into the incident remain ongoing.

Previous arrests and court appearances

On Friday, April 11, Autumn Ward appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court charged with malicious mischief.

The 21-year-old, from Liverpool, did not enter a plea and was committed for further examination and granted bail pending a further court appearance.

Police arrested a 33-year-old man four days after the incident. Kieran Robson appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court charged with malicious mischief on Monday, March 31.

Robson, of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, made no plea during the brief hearing and was committed for further examination and released on bail pending a further court appearance.

Ricky Southall, 33, of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and Umza Bashir, 55, of Leeds, were arrested and charged in England earlier this month.

The appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday, April 7, charged with malicious mischief. They made no plea and were committed for further examination and released on bail ahead of a further court appearance.

What is malicious mischief?

A Scottish Government publication from October 2023 defines the common law offence of malicious mischief as the wilful, wanton and malicious destruction of, or damage to, the property of another.

It notes the charge should only be recorded “where widespread damage is caused, where the value of the damage is considerable, or where there is disruption of power supply, flooding or similar”.

The publication states there is no specific financial value where a potential crime would be recorded as malicious mischief rather than vandalism but multiple thousands of pounds of alleged damage would be required for it to be recorded as the former.