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A MILLIONAIRE racing tipster has been hit with the first worldwide travel ban in Scottish legal history after torturing vulnerable women with “punishment beatings”.
Cops accused Kevin Booth, 64, of recruiting females from poor countries and abusing some of them at his remote Highland home.
In a rare move, Police Scotland launched civil action seeking a travel ban as they said Booth was involved in the trafficking and exploitation of his victims which they couldn’t monitor if he was abroad.
Wick Sheriff Court was told officers raided Lochdhu Lodge in Altnabreac, Caithness, and seized more than 340 “harrowing” videos of the attacks.
The judgment tells how Booth was investigated for raping a woman in “his employ” in the Republic of Ireland and subsequently sought to apply financial pressure on the complainer to withdraw her allegation.
Sheriff Neil Wilson watched 13 videos filmed by Booth, and at least two of them took place in an underground lair.
Describing an 18-minute clip played to the court, Sheriff Wilson said: “This video shows the red and black metal contraption in the tomb area of Lochdhu.
“A young black woman is handcuffed to it in a kneeling position. The defender tells her she is being punished for the way she spoke to him.
“He tells her she has to learn her lesson. She appears to be terrified. She is screaming and crying.”
The Sheriff also referred to the information Detective Sergeant Christopher Hughes told the case.
The lawman added: “In his evidence, DS Hughes was taken through a considerable volume of Skype messages, the general theme of which could be summarised as outlining the defender organising travel, visas and payment for women, and subsequently arranging to meet and abuse them.
“DS Hughes characterised this course of conduct as trafficking and exploitation.”
In July 2023 cops were contacted by a former employee of Booth’s, known only as Miss J.
She said he pressured her into providing him with “sexual services” when she worked for him between June and December the previous year.
The court heard how Booth made reference in Skype chats to him sponsoring the complainer to travel from Botswana to the Republic of Ireland, “and of her not knowing that, once there, he planned to whip her”.
During their investigations, police gathered evidence which was presented in the civil action.
The court heard how the police recovered Skype messages which contained details of Booth arranging travel, visas, passports, payment and accommodation for “many women, with a view to meeting them at various locations abroad.”
The court was told that Booth’s home sits at the end of a 14-mile-long private road and can’t be accessed by public transport.
And within a building at the lodge is a trapdoor that leads to an underground chamber, which contains an empty coffin and life-sized Egyptian figures.
Sheriff Wilson imposed an order which stops him from leaving Britain for the next five years.
He said: “I had no difficulty coming to the conclusion that the defender has, consistently over many years, been engaged in a course of conduct involving the targeting of financially vulnerable women whom he subsequently coerces into submitting to abuse, and in doing so committed acts of human trafficking and exploitation.
“The evidence of Mr Booth’s egregious conduct, as presented in court, was at times, utterly harrowing.
“The graphic video footage, combined with the context and background provided by supporting documentary evidence in various forms, was redolent of a level of cruelty and depravity which, whilst extreme, one can only hope is rare.”
Detective Sergeant Chris Hughes said: “The safety of women and girls is an absolute priority for us and we sought the Trafficking and Exploitation Risk Order as an option open to us to prevent any further offending.
“Trafficking and exploitation is a blight on our communities and has no place in society and we will use all resources open to us to tackle it.”
PAINTINGS of Lord Nelson have been removed from Parliament in a woke purge of historical figures.
Two portraits of the British naval hero, including one showing his death at Trafalgar, have been taken down after a review into links to slavery.
English explorer Sir Francis Drake has also been cancelled and four images of Oliver Cromwell taken down after MPs branded them supporters of the slave trade.
While national heroes are being erased, new portraits of Labour figures — including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper — have been put up.
She has previously made the case for boosting the representation of women and minorities in the Parliamentary Art Collection as part of a Labour mission to “modernise” Westminster.
Ex-Labour minister Baroness Hoey has also landed a spot, alongside suffragist campaigners Millicent Fawcett and Barbara Duval.
But four paintings of Elizabeth I have been taken down, including ones marking the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and a print of anti-slavery leader William Wilberforce removed.
It comes after PM Sir Keir Starmer also reportedly ditched portraits of PMs Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, and also playwright William Shakespeare from Downing Street.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also swapped images of ex-PMs in No11 for art commemorating lockdown.
A Parliament spokesman said: “There are more than 26,000 items within Parliament’s collections, and there are regular movements, for example, due to maintenance works in an area, changes to the occupancy of offices or in spaces and conservation needs.”
THE Queen has adopted an eight-week-old rescue puppy and named her Moley.
Camilla wanted another dog after her Jack Russell terrier Beth died in November.
She revealed details of her new pet while stroking a guide dog on a visit to a museum yesterday.
Bending down to greet Fergie the labrador, Camilla, 77, remarked on how affectionate guide dogs are.
She told owner Susan Mason: “I’ve just got a new puppy, she’s eight weeks old.”
Asked what breed he is, the Queen laughed and said: “You may well ask; a bit of everything.
“It’s a rescue dog.
“It’s called Moley — it looks just like a mole.”
Moley was born on Boxing Day to a Jack Russell mum and unknown dad at Battersea Dogs Home in South London.
Camilla also adopted Beth from Battersea, where she is patron, in 2011 and Bluebell in 2012.
After Beth had to be put down aged 13 in November, King Charles told telly host Amanda Holden at the Royal Variety Performance that they planned to get a new dog.
Camilla met a partially-sighted museum group in Canterbury yesterday.
On arrival, she also stroked guide dog Ralph and remarked: “He looks very happy, he can probably smell my dogs.”
EASTENDERS fans thought that they spotted a disgusting detail in the Slaters house.
On tonight’s episode of the long-running BBC One soap, all the residents of Walford are trying to process the events of last week.
It’s only been a few days, but Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) is grieving the death of the love of her life, Martin Fowler (James Bye).
He was crushed by a metal beam and later died in her arms as paramedics couldn’t save him in the special live episode.
This was as The Queen Vic was collapsing after a huge explosion caused by Reiss (Jonny Freeman) and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins).
In EastEnders, Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) paid an emotional visit to the Slater household, looking for answers.
Stacey couldn’t help but lie to her, saying Martin’s last thoughts were of her and his kids.
This was despite the fact that he asked Stacey to marry him as he declared his love for her until his dying breath.
Despite the emotional scenes, EastEnders fans were distracted by a disgusting detail at number 31 Albert Square.
In the background behind where Ruby was sat in the kitchen, a dirty pot sat on top of the oven hob.
However, the dish was later removed for a later scene in the episode which featured Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).
But viewers took to the social media fan forum site Reddit to bemoan the state of the kitchen as they were distracted by the scenery.
One enthusiast started a whole new thread post which was titled, ‘State of that pot behind Ruby,
Other fans replied in droves as one raged: “No bc (because) when I watched it earlier I was like eww clean your pot stace,”
A second replied: “Caught that as well, sausage surprise spilled over!”
“Omg, tbh I’m amazed the food in that pot was enough to feed the 500 residents in that property haha,” stated a third.
With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford's past. But who have we had so far?
Tracy-Ann Oberman – Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley – Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French – French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer – Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Ricky Groves – Groves returned as Garry Hobbs, a character who has not been seen since 2009.
Cliff Parisi – Parisi returned as Minty Peterson, a character who was last seen on the square in 2010.
Ross Kemp – Kemp has returned to play Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp’s storyline as “explosive”. Kemp said it was an “absolute honour” to return to the show.
Other aspects of the EastEnders 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
As a fourth said: “I saw on tik tok someone always gives their neighbours the food they’ve cooked, in the pot it was cooked in – purely so they’d bring the pot back washed up.”
And a fifth added: “I hope they wash that before they give the pot back to Suki!!!”
EastEnders continues on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
