A HOTELIER known as ‘the female Basil Fawlty’ threatened to torch a neighbour’s house in a bizarre argument about her pet lizard, has been sent to psychiatric hospital. 

Former barrister Shirley Bothroyd was furious because a former employee at the hotel broke into her flat and removed a lizard which she had left on its own while she was away for three weeks.

Rescuer Layla Hall refused to return the pet when she came back and Bothroyd retaliated by hammering on her front door and threatening to burn her house down.

Bothroyd made the threats in the afternoon but was arrested in the early hours of the next morning when police feared she was about to try to start a fire with pieces of paper and a lighter.

She was in the street wearing a nightdress, drunk, barefoot, and ranting about her lizard.

Bothroyd, aged 60, was dubbed the female Basil Fawlty on review websites because of her rude and drunken behaviour towards guests at the Bay Hotel in Teignmouth, which she bought after retiring as a high-flying barrister in London.

She had worked on cases for the Inland Revenue during her career but developed a serious drink problem and mental health issues after buying the hotel.

Bothroyd, of South View, Teignmouth, admitted threatening to commit criminal damage and was sent to a psychiatric hospital under a hospital order by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

As she left the dock with two psychiatric nurses she told the judge: ‘I’m obliged, thank you.’

He told her that the threats were serious because Miss Hall lived in a building of multiple occupation and many people would have been put at risk by any fire.

He told her: ‘This order is for your own well being and the well being of the public at large.’

Mr William Hunter, prosecuting, said Bothroyd made the threats on the afternoon of September 22 last year as part of a dispute about her large pet lizard.

He said: ‘The defendant clearly had a drink problem and in the past Miss Hall had helped her by looking after her lizard. Bothroyd went away for three weeks and Miss Hall entered her flat and rescued the lizard.

‘She took it to her flat and looked after it and when Bothroyd returned she rang her up and then went to her front door when she would not talk to her.

‘The defendant was heard shouting “I know where you live. You are not going to be able to sleep at night. I’m going to kill you. I’m going to burn the place down”.

‘She was shouting and swearing and calling her a whore.

‘Witnesses are scared of the defendant because they are aware she has alcohol and mental health problems.’

Mr Nicolas Gerasimidis, defending, said Bothroyd’s mental health has improved since being transferred from prison to the Fromeside Hospital, near Bristol, in April.

He said she now accepts that she needs treatment for bi-polar disorder and psychosis which are linked to her abuse of alcohol in the past.

A psychiatric report said that in 2017 Bothroyd suffered from significant self-neglect which led to a great deal of erratic behaviour resulting in this offence.