Parking Rage Outside Square Mile Hotel

Wright was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court

A City hotel employee was threatened with having his throat slashed during a late-night parking row over tables and chairs outside the entrance.

Marlan Wright, 34, jumped out of a vehicle at 2am and began clearing away the furniture outside the Apex Hotel London Wall in the heart of the Square Mile.

When he found a note written by hotel staff on the car an hour later he charged at the doors, telling one employee: “I'm going to kill you when I get out,” Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

Wright, of Silver Birch Close, New Southgate pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour outside the hotel on January 30 and was placed on a twelve-month Community Order, which includes 160 hours community service work.

The court was told Wright made a cutting motion across his throat when threatening the employee, but he challenged some of the details given, telling the District Judge: “Some of the things stated are a lie because there was CCTV.”

Prosecutor Jennifer Gatland said the hotel had placed furniture outside, which prevented parking and Wright arrived in a vehicle at 2am.

He aggressively approached the hotel and member of staff Bartosz Platt and moved the furniture to clear a parking space, added the prosecutor.

“A note was left on the vehicle and when the defendant returned at 3am he charged the hotel doors and tried to gain entry and on the CCTV he can be seen chasing and lunging towards Mr Platt.

“His friend tried to hold him back and the victim feared for his safety.”

Afterwards Mr Platt said the incident made him more anxious at work and at the time he feared for his life, not knowing if the aggressive male was armed with a knife or not.

The hotel locked the doors and police were called.

Wright was identified a couple of months later.

Deputy District Judge Patricia Evans also ordered Wright to pay £50 compensation to the victim, plus £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

“The community service is supposed to be inconvenient, that is the point of it,” the judge told Wright. “When you are doing community service you are not doing other things.

“You will be working for free. It is supposed to be a punishment.”