Legal first in Northern Ireland as landlord pleads guilty to harassing his tenant

A legal first was set in Belfast on Monday after a landlord appeared at a Crown Court to confess to harassing his tenant.

Appearing at Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast by videolink, Matthew Betty entered a guilty plea to one of the five charges.

He confessed that between December 1, 2018 and May 7, 2019, he “conducted a course of conduct intended to deprive” the tenant of her lawful occupation of the property in Bangor.

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Following the admission, prosecuting counsel Chris Holmes asked Judge Geoffrey Miller QC to have the four remaining charges “left on the books” but added the plea was accepted on a “full facts basis”.

None of the facts surrounding the charges have opened in court but the particulars of the offences disclose how Betty, of Ty Pwca Place, Gwent, Wales had the water supply cut off, attended personally at the Bangor house and intimidated the occupants, as well as encouraging others to do so.

He also sent an email, which was copied to a wide range of recipients including a multitude of housing association, part-headed ‘Undesirable tenants/Animal neglect/child welfare concerns’.

According to those charges which have been left on the books but are subsumed by count one, Betty encouraged, facilitated or arranged for two young males to attend the property, where they verbally intimidated and harassed the young daughter of the tenant with regards to alleged rent arrears.

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Then on March 3, Betty sent an email to Kilcooley Community Forum headed, ‘’Undesirable Tenants/Animal Neglect/Child Welfare Concerns’, and copied this to numerous bodies including NI Housing Executive, Social Services, Landlords Advice NI, North Down Community Network, numerous housing associations and several other government bodies.

On April 12, Betty attended at the Bangor property without notice, banged repeatedly on the door, shouted at and intimidated a child who was alone in the house, thus causing her fear and distress.

Two days later Betty arranged for NI Water to disconnect supply, having advised them it was unoccupied when it was not.

Following the brief arraignment on Monday, Judge Miller described the matter as “an unusual case because as the parties have pointed out, it may well turn out to be the first time in the UK, certainly the first time in this jurisdiction, that a landlord has been brought to the Crown Court”.

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The judge added that he saw little benefit in ordering a probation pre-sentence report and freeing Betty on continuing bail, he adjourned passing sentence until February 24.

Speaking after Betty’s confessions, his victim said she and her teenager daughter are “just so relieved it’s finally over so we can start re-building our lives”.

Describing Betty’s actions as “two years of hell,” the victim continued: “I hope this makes a change for private tenants who are going through any kind of trauma with their landlord that they know there is help and without the council, this day would never have happened.”