Altnabreac station and the various legal disputes around it

[styles]

I believe it is connected to an Interdict that Booth and others had awarded against Appleby and others, to prevent harassment of Booth, family and their visitors. The interdict expired naturally (after three years) a short while ago.

Yes, it's this. There was the Scottish equivalent of an injunction against the couple filming and harassing Booth and his visitors. It was granted in May 2023 and lasted for 3 years, so it's currently expired. This is effectively an attempt to renew it.

It's been delayed a couple of times owing to procedural issues.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2026 ==

Civil case initiated by Kevin Booth kicked until 20th August 10am, to find a different sheriff.

 

[najaB]

Civil case initiated by Kevin Booth kicked until 20th August 10am, to find a different sheriff.

Oh, a delay. What a surprising and unexpected ocurrence.

 

[Gareth1990]

I’ve tried reading through this thread and I’m still none the wiser, what exactly is this couples problem?

 

[SuspectUsual]

I’ve tried reading through this thread and I’m still none the wiser, what exactly is this couples problem?

The "Douglas Adams" answer

(Life, the universe and everything)

 

[styles]

I’ve tried reading through this thread and I’m still none the wiser, what exactly is this couples problem?

This is a good question. There's so much complexity that it's probably worth a recap.

• English couple move to Altnabreac station. The female is a former detective with Greater Manchester Police.
• There's some odd media reports about her disappearance a few years prior.
• There's allegations that the house was purchased using money abstracted from her siblings in her Irish father's inheritance. Best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the male is the same person who assaulted somebody with the same surname as the female many years ago. Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the female runs, or is involved in, a Christian "cult". Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• The previous occupants of the house were a female who went on BBC News to attest that she was abused by the pretty much one neighbour that they have (Kevin Booth) who is a convicted sex offender with a ban on outside-UK travel or hiring women without notifying Police Scotland in advance.
• The other previous occupant was a car mechanic, who died on the property as a result of an incident with some mechanic equipment. The Health & Safety Executive decided not to investigate because they determined it wasn't a workplace, but effectively a hobby on his part.
• The couple who have moved there originally started their YouTube channel to, as they say, expose, the cover-up of this mechanic's death.
• Network Rail needed to install tactile paving on the station platform, for accessibility purposes. The couple denied Network Rail and ScotRail access as they claimed they owned the whole of the station, sections of the rail, and a bit more.
• Because they couldn't install tactile paving, ScotRail halted services to the station for 18 months, until it could be installed via on-track plant rather than road access.
• Surveyors were brought out by both sides and have their own version of where the boundaries lie.
• The couple then stopped ScotRail trains at a level crossing about 600m away from the station platform. They are accused of a criminal offence in regards to this matter - reckless endangerment. Originally criminal trespass was put forwards but has subsequently been dropped. This is being held in Wick Sheriff Court. It has been delayed a number of times, for everything from road conditions preventing the couple getting to court, to Network Rail's CCTV evidence not having been seen by the defendants.
• The couple argue that owing to the speed restriction of the trains on this stretch of track, the lack of signage at the station regarding how to "request to stop" a train, and that they believed they owned the level crossing and railway tracks, that stopping the trains to inform the drivers that they were trespassing on their property was justified.
• The house is to the south of the railway line. To the north is an EE telecoms mast. The couple prevented EE from taking their motor vehicles across the level crossing to perform maintenance on the mast. The couple maintained that they were the only "authorised users" (a technical term in Network Rail parlance) of the crossing. They are involved in a civil matter relating to this because EE supposedly brought in the materials by helicopter instead which, while the damages claimed haven't been publicly disclosed yet, probably costs a lot of money. There is a civil matter in the Court of Session in Edinburgh regarding this. The CoS usually only initially handles civil claims which are £100k+ in value, so it's very likely that EE are claiming a very significant sum in damages. The last proof hearing has been held and Lord Lake is away to consider all the evidence and make a decision, which may take some weeks or months.
• The Scottish equivalent of injunctions have been issued on a number of occasions. One is to allow Network Rail access to the platform. Another is a form of non-harassment order from the convicted sex offender neighbour against the couple filming him and his visitors and publishing things online, etc.
• Because the couple couldn't attend court on a number of occasions (including that ScotRail suspended services from their station because of the access problems), a lot of these things have been held remotely over video link instead of in-person at court. The couple asked at the start of one video link hearing whether they could report proceedings. They were told no. They recorded them anyway, and then published them to YouTube. As a result of this, they are facing both civil and criminal proceedings for contempt of court, which are being held at Inverness justice centre. Because of the couple's failure to attend some prior contempt proceedings, they have been arrested and held in custody in Inverness and forcibly taken into the court to answer.
• Amongst all of this there's been a few other sets of proceedings initiated and then dropped or lost, mainly regarding access.
• The couple allege on their YouTube channel that this is a Freemason conspiracy to protect their convicted sex offender neighbour.

So where are we now?

• Civil proceedings from Kevin Booth and others against the station cottage owners, which is basically trying to renew a non-molestation order. 20th August is the new hearing date, via WebEx from Wick.
• Civil proceedings from EE against the cottage owners, which has all been heard and is in the deciding hands of Lord Lake, expect an outcome in a few weeks or months.
• Criminal proceedings from the PF for the endangerment issue of stopping trains at a level crossing. Monday 26th-29th October, in-person at Wick Sheriff Court.
• Civil and criminal proceedings for contempt of court, being heard in Inverness in-person. Date TBC. They have been found guilty of 7 out of 11 charges already.

There is much commentary about all this online, especially YouTube. It is worth remembering that a lot of the personal life rumours are just rumours and it's hard to verify a lot of these details, unless you're willing to stick your neck out as a journalist. Also that, while I think a lot of us have strong opinions about whether they should win or lose their cases, they are ultimately innocent until proven guilty in the criminal cases, and in the civil cases it seems like a fair amount of paperwork and admin has been mishandled, so I wouldn't exactly be betting my pension on some of the outcomes. They also in the process have alleged bias from sheriffs dealing with their cases and hinted towards making human rights claims, so there's a reasonable chance that they'll try and appeal some of the decisions which happen over the next few weeks/months.

I think that's a broad enough summary of what's gone on.

 

[Acathater]

I think you may have overlooked something: isn't there a pending prosecution / trial of Booth on further sex charges?

 

[styles]

I think you may have overlooked something: isn't there a pending prosecution / trial of Booth on further sex charges?

That doesn't relate to Altnabreac station or the couple who own station cottage though.

I tend to avoid commenting on Kevin Booth's situation. He's obviously a deplorable human being and I personally think should be behind bars. The last criminal hearing he had the PF messed up because they didn't submit the convictions he'd obtained in England & Wales.

 

[Gareth1990]

So this basically a ‘freeman of the land’ thing? Blimy…

 

[styles]

So this basically a ‘freeman of the land’ thing? Blimy…

Well, that's a theory, yes.

Originally I thought the same but I've changed my view on it as I've looked into it further.

The couple aren't out here claiming that statute law doesn't exist or that courts are maritime or that everybody should be tried by 12 randomly-selected barons.

They appear to have what they believe to be a legitimate dispute over land boundaries. They appear to have decided that stopping a train at a level crossing 600m from the station platform is equivalent to requesting it to stop like a passenger would. Etc.

That's actually quite different to FMOTL/sovcit attitudes which are to mainly just deny many laws even exist. They're actually using existing common and statute law to push their argument.

Their main argument is actually that they own more land than Network Rail or the forestry company claim. It's not a wholly unreasonable position, but it has been largely dismissed by Lord Lake in October 2025 in an interim opinion, and now Lord Lake is trawling through the previous laws where land has been taken over by railway companies, so we'll have to wait and see. But I don't think they're spouting freeman-on-the-land stuff unless I've missed it. In fact, I think the opposite - they're trying to leverage the laws as they exist to help their case.

 

[Bald Rick]

• English couple move to Altnabreac station. The female is a former detective with Greater Manchester Police.
• There's some odd media reports about her disappearance a few years prior.
• There's allegations that the house was purchased using money abstracted from her siblings in her Irish father's inheritance. Best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the male is the same person who assaulted somebody with the same surname as the female many years ago. Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the female runs, or is involved in, a Christian "cult". Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• The previous occupants of the house were a female who went on BBC News to attest that she was abused by the pretty much one neighbour that they have (Kevin Booth) who is a convicted sex offender with a ban on outside-UK travel or hiring women without notifying Police Scotland in advance.
• The other previous occupant was a car mechanic, who died on the property as a result of an incident with some mechanic equipment. The Health & Safety Executive decided not to investigate because they determined it wasn't a workplace, but effectively a hobby on his part.
• The couple who have moved there originally started their YouTube channel to, as they say, expose, the cover-up of this mechanic's death.
• Network Rail needed to install tactile paving on the station platform, for accessibility purposes. The couple denied Network Rail and ScotRail access as they claimed they owned the whole of the station, sections of the rail, and a bit more.
• Because they couldn't install tactile paving, ScotRail halted services to the station for 18 months, until it could be installed via on-track plant rather than road access.
• Surveyors were brought out by both sides and have their own version of where the boundaries lie.
• The couple then stopped ScotRail trains at a level crossing about 600m away from the station platform. They are accused of a criminal offence in regards to this matter - reckless endangerment. Originally criminal trespass was put forwards but has subsequently been dropped. This is being held in Wick Sheriff Court. It has been delayed a number of times, for everything from road conditions preventing the couple getting to court, to Network Rail's CCTV evidence not having been seen by the defendants.
• The couple argue that owing to the speed restriction of the trains on this stretch of track, the lack of signage at the station regarding how to "request to stop" a train, and that they believed they owned the level crossing and railway tracks, that stopping the trains to inform the drivers that they were trespassing on their property was justified.
• The house is to the south of the railway line. To the north is an EE telecoms mast. The couple prevented EE from taking their motor vehicles across the level crossing to perform maintenance on the mast. The couple maintained that they were the only "authorised users" (a technical term in Network Rail parlance) of the crossing. They are involved in a civil matter relating to this because EE supposedly brought in the materials by helicopter instead which, while the damages claimed haven't been publicly disclosed yet, probably costs a lot of money. There is a civil matter in the Court of Session in Edinburgh regarding this. The CoS usually only initially handles civil claims which are £100k+ in value, so it's very likely that EE are claiming a very significant sum in damages. The last proof hearing has been held and Lord Lake is away to consider all the evidence and make a decision, which may take some weeks or months.
• The Scottish equivalent of injunctions have been issued on a number of occasions. One is to allow Network Rail access to the platform. Another is a form of non-harassment order from the convicted sex offender neighbour against the couple filming him and his visitors and publishing things online, etc.
• Because the couple couldn't attend court on a number of occasions (including that ScotRail suspended services from their station because of the access problems), a lot of these things have been held remotely over video link instead of in-person at court. The couple asked at the start of one video link hearing whether they could report proceedings. They were told no. They recorded them anyway, and then published them to YouTube. As a result of this, they are facing both civil and criminal proceedings for contempt of court, which are being held at Inverness justice centre. Because of the couple's failure to attend some prior contempt proceedings, they have been arrested and held in custody in Inverness and forcibly taken into the court to answer.
• Amongst all of this there's been a few other sets of proceedings initiated and then dropped or lost, mainly regarding access.
• The couple allege on their YouTube channel that this is a Freemason conspiracy to protect their convicted sex offender neighbour.

Is that it?

 

[duffield]

This is a good question. There's so much complexity that it's probably worth a recap.

• English couple move to Altnabreac station. The female is a former detective with Greater Manchester Police.
• There's some odd media reports about her disappearance a few years prior.
• There's allegations that the house was purchased using money abstracted from her siblings in her Irish father's inheritance. Best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the male is the same person who assaulted somebody with the same surname as the female many years ago. Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• There's allegations that the female runs, or is involved in, a Christian "cult". Again, best not to get involved in these rumours.
• The previous occupants of the house were a female who went on BBC News to attest that she was abused by the pretty much one neighbour that they have (Kevin Booth) who is a convicted sex offender with a ban on outside-UK travel or hiring women without notifying Police Scotland in advance.
• The other previous occupant was a car mechanic, who died on the property as a result of an incident with some mechanic equipment. The Health & Safety Executive decided not to investigate because they determined it wasn't a workplace, but effectively a hobby on his part.
• The couple who have moved there originally started their YouTube channel to, as they say, expose, the cover-up of this mechanic's death.
• Network Rail needed to install tactile paving on the station platform, for accessibility purposes. The couple denied Network Rail and ScotRail access as they claimed they owned the whole of the station, sections of the rail, and a bit more.
• Because they couldn't install tactile paving, ScotRail halted services to the station for 18 months, until it could be installed via on-track plant rather than road access.
• Surveyors were brought out by both sides and have their own version of where the boundaries lie.
• The couple then stopped ScotRail trains at a level crossing about 600m away from the station platform. They are accused of a criminal offence in regards to this matter - reckless endangerment. Originally criminal trespass was put forwards but has subsequently been dropped. This is being held in Wick Sheriff Court. It has been delayed a number of times, for everything from road conditions preventing the couple getting to court, to Network Rail's CCTV evidence not having been seen by the defendants.
• The couple argue that owing to the speed restriction of the trains on this stretch of track, the lack of signage at the station regarding how to "request to stop" a train, and that they believed they owned the level crossing and railway tracks, that stopping the trains to inform the drivers that they were trespassing on their property was justified.
• The house is to the south of the railway line. To the north is an EE telecoms mast. The couple prevented EE from taking their motor vehicles across the level crossing to perform maintenance on the mast. The couple maintained that they were the only "authorised users" (a technical term in Network Rail parlance) of the crossing. They are involved in a civil matter relating to this because EE supposedly brought in the materials by helicopter instead which, while the damages claimed haven't been publicly disclosed yet, probably costs a lot of money. There is a civil matter in the Court of Session in Edinburgh regarding this. The CoS usually only initially handles civil claims which are £100k+ in value, so it's very likely that EE are claiming a very significant sum in damages. The last proof hearing has been held and Lord Lake is away to consider all the evidence and make a decision, which may take some weeks or months.
• The Scottish equivalent of injunctions have been issued on a number of occasions. One is to allow Network Rail access to the platform. Another is a form of non-harassment order from the convicted sex offender neighbour against the couple filming him and his visitors and publishing things online, etc.
• Because the couple couldn't attend court on a number of occasions (including that ScotRail suspended services from their station because of the access problems), a lot of these things have been held remotely over video link instead of in-person at court. The couple asked at the start of one video link hearing whether they could report proceedings. They were told no. They recorded them anyway, and then published them to YouTube. As a result of this, they are facing both civil and criminal proceedings for contempt of court, which are being held at Inverness justice centre. Because of the couple's failure to attend some prior contempt proceedings, they have been arrested and held in custody in Inverness and forcibly taken into the court to answer.
• Amongst all of this there's been a few other sets of proceedings initiated and then dropped or lost, mainly regarding access.
• The couple allege on their YouTube channel that this is a Freemason conspiracy to protect their convicted sex offender neighbour.

So where are we now?

• Civil proceedings from Kevin Booth and others against the station cottage owners, which is basically trying to renew a non-molestation order. 20th August is the new hearing date, via WebEx from Wick.
• Civil proceedings from EE against the cottage owners, which has all been heard and is in the deciding hands of Lord Lake, expect an outcome in a few weeks or months.
• Criminal proceedings from the PF for the endangerment issue of stopping trains at a level crossing. Monday 26th-29th October, in-person at Wick Sheriff Court.
• Civil and criminal proceedings for contempt of court, being heard in Inverness in-person. Date TBC. They have been found guilty of 7 out of 11 charges already.

There is much commentary about all this online, especially YouTube. It is worth remembering that a lot of the personal life rumours are just rumours and it's hard to verify a lot of these details, unless you're willing to stick your neck out as a journalist. Also that, while I think a lot of us have strong opinions about whether they should win or lose their cases, they are ultimately innocent until proven guilty in the criminal cases, and in the civil cases it seems like a fair amount of paperwork and admin has been mishandled, so I wouldn't exactly be betting my pension on some of the outcomes. They also in the process have alleged bias from sheriffs dealing with their cases and hinted towards making human rights claims, so there's a reasonable chance that they'll try and appeal some of the decisions which happen over the next few weeks/months.

I think that's a broad enough summary of what's gone on.

Thanks very much for the excellent summary. I've been following this thread for what seems like eternity now and I'd somewhat lost track of how we got here and exactly what was happening!

 

[styles]

Is that it?

It's not, actually. There's been a bunch of stuff happen in the middle of all this but at some point it causes more confusion than clarity adding it in! In short - the couple have lost a few other arguments over the past few years. There's loads of detail in the public domain about the land boundaries and everything for those who have a very keen interest in the whole affair, but I think posting it will again just cause confusion really.

 

[MotCO]

Thanks very much for the excellent summary. I've been following this thread for what seems like eternity now and I'd somewhat lost track of how we got here and exactly what was happening!

Same here. They were aspects contained in your summary which I was not aware of. And it's only taken over 2,00 posts to get this far

 

[Gareth1990]

I think one of the reasons a lot of us have no idea what’s going on is because Scots law is so different to the rest of the UK

 

[styles]

I think one of the reasons a lot of us have no idea what’s going on is because Scots law is so different to the rest of the UK

This does make it more difficult for sure.

There's a chap attending the court proceedings and doing detailed write-ups for a YouTube channel. They are excellent. However I do think people get lost in what an interlocutor, an oppose motion, a compatibility hearing etc is. These are terms not known to many people south of the border (or north of it if we're being honest).

 

[Baxenden Bank]

This does make it more difficult for sure.

There's a chap attending the court proceedings and doing detailed write-ups for a YouTube channel. I've met him in-person. They are excellent. However I do think people get lost in what an interlocutor, an oppose motion, a compatibility hearing etc is. These are terms not known to many people south of the border (or north of it if we're being honest).

One correction to the long list.

The death was not the occupier of station cottage.

It is understood that Stuart Young (63) was helping a friend to load scrap vehicles onto a trailer in the Altnabreac area in early April when he suffered fatal injuries.

Source: John O Groat Journal 28 July 2021

 

[styles]

One correction to the long list.

The death was not the occupier of station cottage.

Source: John O Groat Journal 28 July 2021

Yeah the death occurred on the station cottage property mind.

Here's an image of the car lift at station cottage:



Maybe he didn't live there, but he was certainly occupying the land for his mechanics work.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Will eventually this thread be the source of a novel to rival "Kidnapped"?

 

[brad465]

I wouldn't be surprised if someone has made a similar remark in this long thread, but it occurred to me there are now as many posts in here as the station received in passengers from 2017-2024 (the point of the suspension in services starting).

 

[TheWierdOne]

I wouldn't be surprised if someone has made a similar remark in this long thread, but it occurred to me there are now as many posts in here as the station received in passengers from 2017-2024 (the point of the suspension in services starting).

Given the amount of unique commenters who have followed this saga, we really should do a forum meet up at Altnabreac. I wonder if Network Rail would be willing to let us do a barbecue on the platform, maybe we could invite NR as a guest speaker in some form.

 

[styles]

Given the amount of unique commenters who have followed this saga, we really should do a forum meet up at Altnabreac. I wonder if Network Rail would be willing to let us do a barbecue on the platform, maybe we could invite NR as a guest speaker in some form.

So I'm not sure about on the platform - I expect that is a no-no. But the "right to responsible access" or "right to roam" in Scotland does allow having open fires, as long as you're sensible. It would therefore be possible to have a cook-out near the station. There's trout fishing in walking distance to the north. So an Altnabreac camp is totally feasible, as long as no nuisance is caused to the few residents, which should be easily avoided.

 

[Egg Centric]

So I'm not sure about on the platform - I expect that is a no-no. But the "right to responsible access" or "right to roam" in Scotland does allow having open fires, as long as you're sensible. It would therefore be possible to have a cook-out near the station. There's trout fishing in walking distance to the north. So an Altnabreac camp is totally feasible, as long as no nuisance is caused to the few residents, which should be easily avoided.

This is something I'd be up for too. I'm going to report this post to see if it is something that can be considered for a future meetup.

Of course not the entire meetup has to be done in Altnaebreac. It can include a visit there with perhaps a look at the main "sights" (in a non-intrusive way - which may be too difficult to actually make it doable) while decamping to somewhere else for the majority of it.

 

[Falcon1200]

That's a great summary of the saga so far @styles, many thanks for this and your ongoing posts on the situation. I can't help wondering what the couple hoped to gain from all this; Network Rail to purchase the land used by the railway which they believe is theirs, or something else/more?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

That's a great summary of the saga so far @styles, many thanks for this and your ongoing posts on the situation.

100% agree with this comment, many thanks for your efforts.

 

[styles]

That's a great summary of the saga so far @styles, many thanks for this and your ongoing posts on the situation. I can't help wondering what the couple hoped to gain from all this; Network Rail to purchase the land used by the railway which they believe is theirs, or something else/more?

I think they want access charges to be agreed with Network Rail, which they say the previous owner (Tammy Connor) had.

I'm not sure if those previous access charges existed or not. But someone who appears to be Tammy has been on Facebook comment sections of the news reports around this at least saying that she didn't own the level crossing and, "I know what I sold." (or something to that effect). So if both of these are true, they'd be looking at access charges for using their driveway to access the platform more than anything else. Network Rail got around this for the tactile paving by using on-track plant though, so there's no guarantee they'll stump up.

Might all be a bit moot if they lose the EE case though, because that is worth some serious wonga. I don't know if they have savings etc but the cottage could be collateral.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I think they want access charges to be agreed with Network Rail, which they say the previous owner (Tammy Connor) had.

Wow. I knew Booth was alleged to be a wrong ‘un but I didn’t realise it was that scale of wrong

 

[EYFanatic]

Will eventually this thread be the source of a novel to rival "Kidnapped"?

Sir Peter Jackson has been optioned to film this

Given the amount of unique commenters who have followed this saga, we really should do a forum meet up at Altnabreac. I wonder if Network Rail would be willing to let us do a barbecue on the platform, maybe we could invite NR as a guest speaker in some form.

I'm game for that

 

[D6130]

Sir Peter Jackson has been optioned to film this

I'm game for that

I wonder which actors would be cast in the lead rôles?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

That's a great summary of the saga so far @styles, many thanks for this and your ongoing posts on the situation. I can't help wondering what the couple hoped to gain from all this; Network Rail to purchase the land used by the railway which they believe is theirs, or something else/more?

I think they want access charges to be agreed with Network Rail, which they say the previous owner (Tammy Connor) had.

I'm not sure if those previous access charges existed or not. But someone who appears to be Tammy has been on Facebook comment sections of the news reports around this at least saying that she didn't own the level crossing and, "I know what I sold." (or something to that effect). So if both of these are true, they'd be looking at access charges for using their driveway to access the platform more than anything else. Network Rail got around this for the tactile paving by using on-track plant though, so there's no guarantee they'll stump up.

Might all be a bit moot if they lose the EE case though, because that is worth some serious wonga. I don't know if they have savings etc but the cottage could be collateral.

There were (unsubstantiated) on-line comments that Network Rail had paid the previous owners for repairs to the drive access due to vehicles churning it up. Hence a view by some that further monies could be extracted for future access.

To be honest, as suggested by @styles there is a lot of unsubstantiated 'stuff' spouted in responses to the various YouTube channels, by multiple parties. Some of whom may be shadow accounts for the key players in this saga, together with fans and opponents of the same, along with peddlers of conspiracy theories. I'm talking about the hundreds of 'below the line' comments here. I suspect some would be legally actionable were it worth the time and effort.

 

[EYFanatic]

I wonder which actors would be cast in the lead rôles?

Brian Blessed, I understand, is to play Elizabeth... With the beard still on