A man who got drunk and fled a luxury spa hotel without paying his bill has been hauled to court. Neil Grady, 34, a building site manager from Warrington, spent £760 on two bottles of Dom Perignon champagne and a three-course meal for himself and his girlfriend at the Grosvenor Pulford near Chester.
Grady asked waiters to charge the meal to his room, but the following morning the pair vanished without paying for the dinner at the Palm Court restaurant. The £566 one-night stay at the four-star hotel had also not been settled, leaving a total bill of £1,266.50.
Traced after leaving details
Grady was later traced after leaving his name and address with the hotel on arrival. Chester Magistrates' Court heard that inquiries revealed he and his girlfriend were already 'intoxicated' when they checked in ahead of dinner at the restaurant.
The incident happened in April 2025, when Grady and his girlfriend were visiting Chester for the Easter weekend. Earlier, he had authorised a £50 deposit over the phone for the one-night spa stay at the hotel in the village of Pulford, five miles south of Chester.
Court hears of defence
Prosecutor Derryn Gibney said: "While staying at the hotel on April 5, the defendant used the facilities of the hotel. At the restaurant he had a meal and two bottles of champagne and the total bill for this was £760.90."
"But the defendant asked for that to be charged to his room. On April 6, the defendant was due to check out the hotel where he would have been expected to make a payment of the money for the room and meal - but he failed to do so."
The total loss was £1,266.50 and the matter was reported to police. Grady was later interviewed and admitted he left the keys in the room and left the room. He said he was aware he had to pay for the drinks and food but had not avoided checking out to avoid paying.
The court heard Grady had caring responsibilities for his two-year-old daughter, his partner's children aged 13 and eight, and his elderly and infirm parents. In mitigation, defence lawyer Stevie Bate said: "Whilst he fully accepts his behaviour, he categorically denied any intent from the outset."
"He says his lack of intention was clearly shown by him giving his correct name and correct address and his bank details - and his partner's bank details. There is no suggestion that he had tried to hide his identity."
"CCTV clearly shows that he and his partner were intoxicated when checking into the hotel. He has already made attempts to reimburse it. He is paid £800 per week which is quite a significant income and can comfortably offer to pay back the money at £250 per month."
Sentence and repayment
Grady, of Arncliffe Drive, Burtonwood and Westbrook, Warrington, admitted making off without payment. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a requirement to complete 72 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity. He was also ordered to pay the entire bill to the hotel plus £514 in costs and a surcharge.
