WILLIAM PARSONS SENTENCED IN TAIN FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AT ROYAL HOTEL

William Parsons, a 71-year-old hotel owner and director based in Tain, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison following his conviction for sexually assaulting an intoxicated guest at the Royal Hotel in Tain, Ross-shire. The incident, which occurred in November 2021, has drawn significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding the assault and the victim’s vulnerable state.

According to court records, the assault came to light after the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought to the hotel by police officers. The police had picked him up earlier that evening because he was heavily intoxicated and had no other place to stay. Officers described the man as slurring his words and having a glazed look in his eyes, indicating a high level of intoxication. The police officers’ observations confirmed that the man was in a state of significant impairment when he arrived at the hotel.

Surveillance footage from the hotel shows the victim engaging in conversation with Parsons in the hotel bar shortly before midnight. The footage further depicts Parsons leading the heavily intoxicated man, who was carrying a tray with eight shots of vodka and a whisky, upstairs to a room. It was in this private setting that the assault took place. The court heard that Parsons, who was aware of the victim’s intoxication, took advantage of his vulnerable state rather than providing any form of assistance or care.

The judge, Lord Young, emphasized that the victim was too intoxicated to give valid consent to any sexual activity. The victim later reported the incident to police after waking up around 2 a.m., feeling distressed and concerned that something sexual had happened without his consent. When police officers arrived at the hotel, they found the victim in a distressed state in his room, and he recounted the incident, which he later described as an assault.

Parsons, who had no prior criminal record and was a first-time offender, was arrested and pleaded guilty to sexual assault. During the sentencing hearing at the High Court in Livingston, the defense highlighted Parsons’s reputation as a reputable businessman and his awareness of his misconduct. Despite this, the court found the severity of the crime warranted a custodial sentence. Lord Young noted Parsons’s role as a hotel owner and director, which gave him access and opportunity to commit the assault, and he pointed out that Parsons had taken advantage of the victim’s vulnerable state rather than acting responsibly.

In his sentencing remarks, Lord Young stated that Parsons’s actions were a serious breach of trust and that the victim’s intoxication and status as a hotel guest made him particularly vulnerable. The judge described the assault as involving intimate contact with the victim’s genitalia, which was especially egregious given the victim’s inability to consent due to his intoxication. Parsons was also ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and was issued a non-harassment order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim for the same period.

Additional evidence presented during the trial revealed that Parsons was a part owner and director of a local hotel company. The victim, who was described as appearing “stinking of marijuana,” had consumed multiple drinks and was unable to recall the events clearly. He woke up feeling concerned that something sexual had happened without his consent and contacted police. The police found him distressed in his hotel room, and the case highlighted issues of misconduct and vulnerability within hospitality environments.

During the sentencing, Lord Young acknowledged Parsons’s age, health issues, and lack of previous convictions, but ultimately concluded that the seriousness of the offense required a custodial sentence. The court rejected the defense’s request for leniency, emphasizing the gravity of the assault and the victim’s distress. Parsons’s guilty plea, entered shortly before the jury was sworn in, was noted, but the court determined that it did not warrant a reduction in the sentence. The 18-month imprisonment will commence immediately, and Parsons will be subject to the statutory notification requirements for ten years under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, along with the non-harassment order.