Landlord who breached injunction preventing harassment of council staff handed suspended sentence and £75k costs order

A landlord in Kent has been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for three years, and ordered to pay £75,000 in costs after being found in contempt of court.

The sentencing of Fergus Wilson comes after His Honour Judge Antony Dunne, sitting as a Deputy High Court judge, ruled last month that the defendant had breached an injunction that sought to stop him from harassing staff and councillors at Ashford Borough Council.

The dispute stretches back to 2021 when Darryl Allen KC, sitting as a Deputy High Court judge, found Wilson had harassed a legal team member by insulting her and making an unfounded accusation that she had committed criminal offences.

Judge Allen issued an injunction, ordering Wilson to only contact the council via a single point of contact, the council's director of law, Terrence Mortimer. 

Following a hearing on 12 March 2024 at which Wilson represented himself, HHJ Dunne decided in Ashford Borough Council & Ors v Wilson [2024] EWHC 781 (KB) (10 April 2024) that 20 out of 44 alleged breaches had been proved to the criminal standard of proof. The remaining allegations were not proved.

The sentencing hearing took place on 16 May and resulted in the suspended sentence and costs order.

According to Ashford, the £75,000 figure is half of its estimated costs for proceedings. 

The court could be set to order Wilson to pay the remaining half, dependent on the outcome of a formal assessment process that "will take some time" to conclude, the council said.

Adam Carey