Wolverhampton Council prosecuted the landlord under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Practices Regulations 2008.

The Crown Prosecution Service also took action against the landlord for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The landlord pleased guilty to all the charges at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The council's private sector housing and trading standards teams investigated the landlord after he had smashed a window at and broken into the tenants' home and threatened them with a hammer.

He had first started harassing the tenants, who shared the house, in 2021 when he had gained entry without permission and changed the locks at the property. On this occasion the landlord had arrived at the property with two men who were aggressive and abusive towards one of the tenants and pushed him out of the property and caused damage to the tenant's car. This incident was reported to the police.

The landlord was told by council officers that he had failed to follow the correct legal repossession procedure and that illegally evicting a tenant was a criminal offence. He was also warned that a court injunction could be obtained against him. Subsequently, however, the landlord claimed to have sold the house and told the tenants that he was going to throw their possessions out of the property. The council obtained an interim injunction against him but in November 2021 he broke into the house using a hammer and was arrested after threatening the tenants. One of the tenants needed hospital treatment after trying to escape from the landlord.

At the court hearing on 12th June 2023, the landlord was sentenced to 2 months in prison for each of the charges - to run concurrently - brought by the council and 6 months for the assault charge brought by the CPS - all suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay the tenants £4,700 in compensation and to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. The tenants were rehoused by the council.

Cllr. Craig Collingswood, Cabinet Member for City Environment and Climate Change, said "This is a truly terrifying case where innocent members of the public were harassed, threatened and injured by someone they trusted to give them a home. It is an excellent example of the council working together, with our Private Sector Housing team using Trading Standards expertise to ensure [the landlord's] conviction .... The thought of a man armed with a hammer breaking through a window on a dark November night is horrifying ...."

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