A man who was fascinated by the self-professed “wickedest man in the world”, Aleister Crowley, has been banned for a year from visiting the ruins of a north mansion.
Panagiotis Pierrakos, 48, has also been ordered by Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald to stay away from the couple living at Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness outside the village of Foyers.
The homeless drug addict and alcoholic will be supervised by social workers for the same period.
His defence solicitor Natalie Paterson told the court that her client advised her he knew Kyra and Keith Readdy previously and “there was a falling out”.
Boleskine House suffered devastating fire damage in 2015 and again in 2019.
A foundation was set up to restore the building with the Readdys living in the Old Gate House and supervising the £1.2million restoration project.
But Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Pierrakos was a constant visitor to the site made famous by Crowley’s dabbling in Black Magic.
The Readdys had to involve the police and on May 15 this year, they had had enough.
Pierrakos was seen on the old military road walking towards Boleskine House, previously owned by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Because of his previous visits, police were informed.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Macdonald at a previous hearing: “The history of the house seems to be an attraction, especially to occultists who followed the activities of Aleister Crowley at the beginning of last century.
“The couple heard a knock at the door during the evening and Pierrakos had a jumper which had been sitting in the porch.”
The fiscal depute described how Mr Readdy tried to grab it, but Pierrakos squared up to him and pushed his way in, knocking over Mrs Readdy.
Ms Gair added: “Mr Readdy managed to get him out of the house and Pierrakos made his way up to the ruins to an area known as Room 1 where he was arrested.”
Pierrakos then twice broke bail conditions not to approach the Gate House before another incident on July 17.
Mrs Gair said he again returned to the Boleskine and stood staring in the Room 1 area once more.
When police approached him, he threw a punch, missing one officer before he was grappled to the ground and handcuffed.
Pierrakos admitted stalking the Readdys, two charges of assault, two of bail breaches, one of police assault and resisting arrest.
