A Greek man who is obsessed with the former Highland home of the self-proclaimed “wickedest man in the world”, Aleister Crowley, has breached an order against visiting the spot.
Panagiotis Pierrakos was banned by an Inverness Sheriff Court order from going within 8.7 miles of Boleskine House, overlooking Loch Ness.
After two devastating fires in 2015 and 2019, it is the subject of a £1.2 million pound renovation project being supervised by Keith and Kyra Readdy, who have been frequently pestered by the 48-year-old homeless man.
The B-listed building was previously owned by occultist Aleister Crowley, who allegedly practised Black Magic there, and by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
It was bought by the Readdys in 2019, who plan to turn it into a visitor attraction.
On one occasion, Pierrakos assaulted Ms Readdy at the door of the Gate Lodge where the couple live.
Last October he was banned from visiting the ruined mansion for a year.
But on December 1, 2020, Pierrakos went to the Foyers property, about 10 miles from Inverness, in contravention and refused to leave.
Fiscal depute Allison Young told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood today that the Readdys saw him walking up to the main building, which is being renovated.
She said: “Ms Readdy headed up there to warn two other people working on the building. He was told he shouldn’t be there. He was fidgeting and acting strangely and then picked up a plastic pole.
“They weren’t sure what he was going to do with it. And then asked a strange question: ‘are you having fun?”
“They negotiated with him to leave, gave him a cigarette and he put down the pole. He was reported to police.”
The court heard that Pierrakos then struggled with police when they arrived.
Pierrakos admitted threatening behaviour and resisting arrest. He also pleaded guilty to spitting on an officer’s face in Raigmore Hospital on May 20, 2020 – a few days after appearing in court for returning to Boleskine House.
Defence solicitor Natalie Paterson suggested that a new background report would be required on her client and made no application for bail.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood deferred sentence until May 13 and Ms Paterson reserved her comments until then.
