UK Couple Wakes Up in Unfamiliar Hotel Room After Accident - A Terrifying Experience

Stephen and Sara Ridgewell, a married couple of 19 years, were buzzing with excitement as they headed out to an engagement party for a former colleague. Little did they know that their night off from parenting duties would soon turn into a nightmare.

The couple left their four year old son Sid in the capable hands of Sara's sister, Katy Hood, 30, and set off for a night of merriment in nearby Chelmsford, Essex – just a short half-hour journey from their home. However, their evening took a horrifying twist in less than two hours.

'We had a can of G&T on the dedicated minibus, as you do, then we arrived at the venue,' shares Sara, who works as an events florist. Stephen, a maintenance engineer, chimes in, 'I bought Sara a bottle of prosecco and I had a couple of pints. The only drink we shared was when I had a glass from her bottle.'

Sara reveals that they hadn't planned on drinking heavily that night back in February 2023. 'We had a four-year-old at home – it's never worth it the next day,' she explains.

However, the couple suspect their drinks were tampered with, and hours later, they woke up in an unfamiliar hotel room, with no memory of how they ended up there or what happened during their night out, reports the Mirror.

Sara, 43, and Stephen, 46, insist they didn't mingle drinks with anyone else at the bash. Despite a few unfamiliar faces, they were mostly in the company of friends and never felt uneasy.

'We didn't exactly sit with our hands over our drinks. But we didn't think we had to in that environment,' Stephen shares.

CounterSpike, an anti-drink-spiking firm, has disclosed that drink spiking has hit epidemic proportions in the UK. Alarmingly, 6.6 million Brits have been victims of drink spiking in their lifetime, while 11.7 million claim to know someone who has been spiked.

The following day, Sara and Stephen began experiencing hazy flashbacks from the previous night, including memories of sitting by the minibus, which Stephen thinks was an attempt to return home. They both have a vague recollection of being at the train station, likely trying to find a safe way back.

Their only lucid memory from the night is being awakened at 2am by Sara's phone ringing – and discovering themselves in an unfamiliar hotel room. Sara's sister was on the line, wondering when they would be back to relieve her of babysitting duties – but Stephen and Sara were completely clueless about their whereabouts.

Stephen shared his disorienting experience, saying: 'I had to go outside just to figure out where on earth we were. We knew it was a Premier Inn room because they all look the same, but we could have been anywhere,' He then realised he had cuts on his head from falling over and had also wet himself – something he says has never happened before, even during his partying years.

In a surprising twist, Stephen found out he had paid for the hotel room in Boreham, a location far from the party that would have required transport. 'I checked my bank balance. I paid for the room and we must have got a taxi, but we can't remember a thing,' he confessed.

The pair finally made it home at 4am, taking turns to sleep for two hours, not only to care for Sid but also to ensure they were both alright. 'We felt horrendous for a couple of days afterwards,' Stephen admitted. 'I know what a hangover is – that wasn't a hangover – and we both felt exactly the same.'

Despite their ordeal, nothing had been stolen and there were no photos or videos on their phones or posted on social media afterwards, leaving them clueless about what someone would have gained from the act. Stephen was shocked when a friend told him the next day that he had been acting 'very out of control' and 'stumbling around'.

'It's a fear of what could have happened,' Sara muses. 'We were very lucky to not be seriously hurt. Thank goodness we stuck together. It could have been horrendous if one of us had gone wandering off.'

Feeling on edge

The fear and anxiety surrounding spiking is amplified by the belief that it's difficult to prove, coupled with the shame and embarrassment victims often experience. A recent survey revealed that in the past two years, a fifth [22%] of victims neither reported nor confided in anyone about being spiked, and only 11% reported the incident to the police.

Sara and Stephen were no different. Despite the incident being no fault of their own, they chose not to check CCTV footage or contact the police as they felt embarrassed.

'You can feel a bit stupid or worry that people think you're making excuses for just being really drunk,' Sara explains.

The couple were fortunate enough to get themselves to safety, but that traumatic night two years ago has changed how they approach social events.

'It's given us a different outlook on going out,' says Sara. Stephen agreed, admitting that going out now makes him extremely anxious. I'll often not drink and just take the car.'

The unsettling incident has left Sara feeling paranoid in social situations. 'I was at my sister's hen do and some blokes bought us shots on the dance floor,' she recalls. 'I panicked and shouted, 'Don't drink them!' You can't trust anyone these days.'

She adds, 'We like to stay at home these days. This experience brought to light how vulnerable you can be.'

The government has brought in spiking as a specific, standalone crime under the Crime and Policing Bill, designed to make it simpler to prosecute those who give harmful substances without permission. The fresh legislation modernises the terminology employed, raises the maximum sentence and revises how and in which courts these crimes are handled.

CounterSpike considers this step as merely one element of the answer and 'solution' suppliers like itself, the government, establishments, the police and charities such as Spike Aware UK must also collaborate to raise public consciousness, advance safety protocols and support reporting of spiking so offenders can be identified and prosecuted.

Stay safe from spiking – test your drinks with CounterSpike’s SpikeStixx at www.counterspike.com