Landlord sentenced for harassing council staff

Fergus Wilson was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence by a judge

A Kent landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence for breaching an injunction preventing him from harassing council staff.

Fergus Wilson, from Maidstone, had contacted and harassed staff at Ashford Borough Council "on multiple occasions" and on "a range of issues", the High Court heard.

He was sentenced by Judge Anthony Dunne KC to six-months imprisonment suspended for three years for contempt of court.

The injunction required Wilson to only have contact with one senior officer at the council.

But Ashford Borough Council returned to the High Court, alleging that he had continued to harass employees and councillors.

Wilson, who represented himself in court, was ordered to pay half of the council's estimated costs for the proceedings - £75,000.

He previously hit headlines after deciding to sell his entire property portfolio - equating to about 300 properties in the county - after a series of court battles over his treatment of tenants.