Man accuses asylum hotel guests of theft but phone was in underpants.

By Our Crime Editor: Rob Banks

BABERGH — A routine breakfast service at a local asylum hotel descended into chaos on Tuesday morning after a guest staged a violent protest over a missing mobile phone, which was later discovered inside his own underwear.

Mark Guggenheim, 45, formerly of Saffron Walden, noticed his device was missing upon arriving at the hotel canteen shortly after using the shared toilet facilities. According to eyewitnesses, Mr Guggenheim immediately concluded that his fellow guests had orchestrated a coordinated theft while he was occupied in the cubicle.

Refusing to accept the other guests’ denials, Mr Guggenheim grew increasingly confrontational. Witnesses reported that he began shouting accusations, kicking adjacent doors, and physically overturning breakfast tables, causing minor damage to the dining area and scattering cereal across the floor.

Security staff intervened after several minutes of disruption, physically restraining Mr Guggenheim and escorting him back to his personal room to calm down.

Case cracked

The situation was resolved shortly thereafter when Mr Guggenheim began undressing. Upon removing his trousers, he discovered the missing handset lodged securely within the gusset of his underpants. Investigations suggest the device had slipped into his garments while he was redressing himself following his earlier visit to the lavatory.

While the telephone was successfully recovered unharmed, canteen operations suffered a temporary delay as staff cleared the overturned furniture.

To this reporter’s knowledge, no apologies have been offered by Mr Guggenheim to either the facility management or his fellow guests.