'Britain's worst landlord' accused of nightmare campaign of harassment
A millionaire dubbed "Britain's worst landlord" has been accused of harassing councillors, despite a previous court injunction which cost him £125,000.
Ashford Borough Council, in Kent, claims property mogul Fergus Wilson has continued to harass and insult its staff, despite legal action a couple of years ago. The injunction came after a "decade of harassment" in which the buy-to-let landlord repeatedly instructed councillors to kill themselves and sent huge numbers of unsolicited letters and emails.
The council's representative Adam Solomon QC previously handed over a staggering 454 pieces of correspondence sent by Mr Wilson to council officials in the space of just over four years - between February 2016 and July 2020. Mr Soloman said his behaviour had made workers feel harassed and intimidated, with some receiving emails from him on a daily basis.
He was served a permanent injunction stopping him from contacting current and former officers, employees, councillors and agents of the council. The judgment required he should only communicate with one senior officer at the council.
The case concluded in September 2021 and in May 2022, with the court ordering Mr Wilson to cough up £125,000 to Ashford Borough Council as a part payment "on account" while the full costs were assessed. The council believes this value, just under 75 per cent of their estimated costs of £170,000, represents a reasonable sum.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
A previous injunction which cost him £125,000 (KMG / SWNS)This week, in relation to the alleged ongoing harassment, Anthony Dunne KC, sitting as a Judge of the High Court, heard evidence from the authority that since the previous injunction was secured, Mr Wilson has on multiple occasions continued to contact and harass staff and councillors on a range of issues.
Mr Wilson, of Boughton Monchelsea near Maidstone, represented himself in court. Judge Dunne reserved judgment and is expected to publish his decision next month. The council said the harassment has been ongoing since 2011.
In 2021, the court heard how legitimate inquiries by Mr Wilson would quickly turn to him repeatedly belittling, insulting and abusing councillors or council workers in an attempt to get his own way. Defending Mr Wilson, his representative Andrew Deakin argued that the communications the landlord sent out "didn't cross the threshold of what would be considered harassment".
He also said that councillors "having taken elected office, accepts and takes on the very real potential that individuals will write and express abhorrent expressions" such as Cllr Clarkson experienced at the hands of Mr Wilson.
The council said the harassment has been ongoing since 2011 (KMG / SWNS)The court also heard that Mr Wilson subjected one of the council's legal representatives to a focused ordeal spanning years, much of which featured emails to her superiors, some of which were copied to as many as 44 people within the council. These would often see him make derogatory references to her weight and general appearance, as well as stating that she was not qualified to practise law.
In support of an argument that his conduct was appropriate, one piece of evidence that Mr Wilson submitted to the court was a photo of himself taken with the hashtag "Fat ****" written underneath, presumably taken from social media, although this was not specified. Mr Solomon said: "The argument goes, insofar as it is coherent, is that if it is OK for people to call the defendant a 'fat ****', it is okay for him to refer to [the victim] in the way that he does".
The mogul has found found himself in the public eye numerous times over the last decade, notably in 2018 for clashing online with comedian Danny Hyde and in 2017 when a court overturned Mr Wilson's racist practice of banning "coloured" tenants. Mr Wilson and wife Judith once owned the largest portfolio of properties in Kent - believed to be around 1,000.
The Mirror has contacted Ashford Council for comment.
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