By Victoria Mckeown.
Rogue landlord , Robert Crow was today fined a total of £18k and given a 2 year suspended sentence at Basildon Crown Court for breaching a Criminal Behavioural Order given to him
The 71 year old who had initially pleaded guilty to the charge, later changed his plea to not guilty, prompting the case to be adjourned.
Mr Crow told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”I am appalled at the ruling of the court. It is wrong and absolutely unfair. Southend Council have always been in bed with the courts, it is obvious.
I have been in court where judges just dismiss what I say, they don’t even want to listen. to me. You can see that they have already taken the side of the Council. here is no justice in this country”.
Mr Crow has had three of his properties repossessed for failing to abide by the court’s order, leaving him without an income from renting properties.
In a drawn out legal battle with Southend Borough Council ever since he was convicted of breaching HMO regulations in 2016 for which he was fined £39,000, Mr Crow has appealed case after case, in his insistence that he was the victim of a rogue operation by the council, whom he said were in conspiratorial arrangements with the neighbours and the courts to put him out of business.
After Southend Borough Council suspended housing benefits to him for his tenants, residents of his property left one after the other, leaving him with no income to even fight his case with a hired lawyer.
However, the legally battered former landlord, often represented himself in court, but on occasions saved up his £500 monthly pension money to hire lawyers to represent him. The outcome was unfavourable each time, but he kept fighting, even when advised to sell his property and get on with his life.
Legal War
Mr Crow opted to engage Southend Borough Council in a legal war until his mortgage lenders repossessed three of his flats. The banned landlord is still holding to one of his flats which has been waiting for possession since last March.
The former businessman was close to losing the flat where he currently resides , when Boris Johnson put a halt to repossessions, which saved him throughout 2020.
Mr Crow has complained of mental health issues caused by his grievance that he is being ganged up against by the council, the neighbours and the courts.
He told this publication last month that he had a couple living in his property free of charge despite a court order prohibiting him from having anybody apart from close family members or a partner sleep over at his residence.
He said the police have declined calls he has made to eject the couple from the property, but cops told him it is a civil matter.
Neighbours who heard Mr.Crow’s explanation for having unwanted residents at his property, ridiculed him, saying that he ought to have changed the locks to force the illegal residents out.
Fear
However, he expressed fear that the 6ft 8 resident, whom he describes as a violent alcoholic, could attack him.
A neighbour who attended the court hearing anonymously said: He’s trying to hold onto basement flat and the tenants are still there therefore still breaking court order.
It wont be over until he is gone from the flat”.
Another neighbour said: I am happy with the ruling. It’s about time he left this street.
He has been his own worst enemy, but most people on this street just can’t wait for him to leave”.