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 (ABC) claims Fergus Wilson, 73, once the biggest private landlord in the country, 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.
ABC’s legal representative Adam Solomon KC 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.
Mr Wilson had been banned from contacting Ashford Borough Council for life after aggressively abusing staff there, including telling councilors to kill themselves
Wilson with his wife Judith (pictured) who bought up scores of properties in the 1980s
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, the court ordered Mr Wilson to make a payment of £125,000 to Ashford Borough Council as a part payment ‘on account’ while the full costs are assessed.
The council believes this value, just under 75 per cent of their estimated costs of £170,000, represents a reasonable sum.
But this week, 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.
A previous High Court hearing heard some workers had received daily messages of abuse, the court heard, leading to some feeling bullied and distressed, being unable to respond to allegations and breaking down in tears.
Included in the council’s evidence was a letter, sent to former council leader Gerry Clarkson’s home address, calling him a ‘buffoon’, ‘an a******’, ‘a bag of ****’ and said he should ‘do all the young people in Ashford a service and commit suicide’.
Fergus Wilson, 73, had previously been stopped from selling off his properties to plead poverty to dodge a legal bill
Ashford Borough Council’s (pictured) representative, Adam Soloman KC, handed in a staggering 454 copies of correspondence to the High Court, sent by Wilson to council officials between February 2016 and July 2020
Wilson also referred to a female member of staff as an ‘objectionable lady’ and ‘Michelin lady’ in an email where he called for her to be sacked.
The council later took further legal action because Mr Wilson defaulted on three court judgements relating to the payment of £250,000 legal costs.
But the multi-millionaire claimed he had no money and was unable to pay.
Mr Wilson began rapidly disposing of their assets and the council believed there was a risk that the costs orders of the court would go unsatisfied, and that future orders would be frustrated if a freezing injunction was not made
Investigators claimed Mr Wilson and his wife, Judith, made more than £40million from the sale of 166 properties – with £35 million made in the last two years.
A High Court injunction stopped him from disposing of the remaining assets, including five homes he owns in Ashford, Kent.
Mr Wilson said his wife Judith Wilson would pay £250,000 to the council.
Six years ago, the landlord gained infamy for banning tenants he described as ‘coloured’ because he said they ‘smell like curry’.
In 2017 this ban was overturned in a court victory for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.