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Court hears of Trump golf club urination

A grandmother is in a Scottish court after she was filmed while urinating on US President Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course.

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Source: AAP


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A grandmother has told a court she was "shocked" to find out she was filmed while urinating on US President Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course.

Carol Rohan Beyts is pursuing a damages claim against Trump International, claiming staff at the Menie estate course breached data protection laws by recording her.

The 62-year-old is a long-term campaigner against the course and told a small claims hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court she was left "slightly paranoid" about urinating outdoors.

She told the court she met a fellow campaigner for a walk at the course in April 2016.

Beyts said she "needed urgently to go to the toilet" and after checking no one could see went in the dunes before continuing her walk.

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A staff vehicle drew up and a man got out and started taking photos, who she later discovered was photographer Colin Rennie.

Beyts said the course manager was there and she and her friend were asked their opinion about the course in a "polite" exchange, and told them it was "in the wrong place" before heading on.

Three days later, two police officers arrested her at her home for public urination.

"I was shocked. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was shocked not because of the criminal charge but because of the police coming to my door for what was quite a trivial incident."

She assumed she had been caught on CCTV but was later told by police that three men - two staff and a visitor - had filmed her on mobiles.

She said she now finds it "more difficult" to go the toilet outside when on multi-day camping trips.

She said she had opposed Trump's course due to concerns over environmental damage, at one stage leading a protest march, but had always done so legally.


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