A landlord and his friend have been jailed for eight months for threatening a tenant with a knife and saw.
Buy to let owner Paul Adams went with Simon Viggars to Adams’ property in Tunstall, Staffordshire at 3.30am and threatened the tenant and his pregnant wife because of rental arrears.
Prosecutor Paul Spratt told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court the tenant paid Adams £360 a month in rent, but was two months behind.
Spratt described to the court how the tenant opened the door to find Adams with kitchen knife in his hand and Viggars holding a saw.
Viggars then allegedly threatened the couple by telling them there was a van full of people waiting for them.
The tenant managed to shut the door and the police were called. Officers later found the weapons in a nearby bin. Both men admitted affray and possession of a bladed article.
Jason Holt, defending Adams, said the tenant was around £1,000 in arrears and the landlord was concerned the property could have been repossessed.
Judge Paul Glenn jailed both men for eight months and told them: “Your behaviour on this night was disgraceful. You went around at 3.30am tooled up, demanding the money that was owed.
“This was a planned expedition. You made significant threats. The tenant genuinely believed you would put those weapons to use.”
• Buy to let residential landlords, letting agents and anyone considering property investment in the buy to let market are being invited to the Somerset Private Sector Landlords Expo on Wednesday 14 July.
Property experts will be providing advice and information and there will be seminars on property management, ventilation systems, low cost loans, legal advice and energy saving ideas.
The Expo is being organised by the five district councils throughout Somerset. It is being held at Sedgemoor Auction Centre in North Petherton between 3pm and 8.30pm.
