A seventh individual has been arrested and charged in connection with an incident of criminal damage at the Trump Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 27-year-old woman was detained in Ayr on Sunday, 27 April, and has now been formally charged. She is expected to appear before Ayr Sheriff Court in due course, with proceedings likely to mirror those of six others already implicated in the case.
The incident occurred during the early hours of 8 March, when police received a report at approximately 4.40am of red paint having been sprayed across the main clubhouse at the Turnberry course on Maidens Road. Further damage was reported to several of the greens on the property, which is owned by former US President Donald Trump.
The resort, widely considered one of the finest links golf courses in Scotland, has been at the centre of several protest actions in recent years, though the nature and motive of this specific incident remain under investigation. Authorities have not confirmed whether the attack was politically motivated or part of a wider campaign.
The six individuals previously arrested in connection with the incident have already made initial appearances at Ayr Sheriff Court. They were named as Autumn Ward, 21, of Liverpool; Ricky Southall, 33, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire; Umza Bashir, 55, of Leeds; Kieran Robson, 33, of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders; and Geoffrey Bush, 75, along with Elizabeth Crerar-Brown, 66, both residents of Oban, Argyll and Bute.
All six faced charges of malicious mischief and made no pleas during their court appearances. They were each committed for further examination and granted bail pending their next appearance. The court has not yet set a date for the next hearings, although legal proceedings are expected to continue into the coming months.
The Trump Turnberry resort has a long and complex history, having been acquired by the Trump Organisation in 2014. Its association with the former president has made it a frequent focal point for political protests and environmental activism. However, this latest act of vandalism has been condemned by officials and community members alike.
More Read
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “A 27-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with damage caused at a property on Maidens Road, Turnberry, on Friday, 8 March 2024. She is due to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court in due course.”
Investigations remain ongoing, and officers have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests.
A representative for the Trump Organisation previously described the incident as “a senseless and deliberate act of destruction” and confirmed that the damage to the property was being assessed by staff. The resort remained open to guests in the days following the incident, although some parts of the course required temporary closure for repair.
Local reaction has been mixed, with some residents expressing concern about the disruption and potential damage to tourism in the area. One nearby business owner said: “We don’t support what Trump stands for, but damaging the course isn’t going to help. It’s only going to bring the wrong kind of attention to Turnberry and hurt the local economy.”
As legal proceedings progress, the court will now have to consider the evidence gathered by Police Scotland, including any potential links between the accused and wider activist networks. Until then, the case continues to highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding one of Scotland’s most high-profile and politically charged properties.
