Shropshire landlord denies stealing from tenants in unpaid rent row
A landlord denied being involved in stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods belonging to his tenants in a dispute over unpaid rent.
Mohammed Choudhary claimed he believed the property had been abandoned and only removed gardening equipment which he said he owned.
Giving evidence at Shrewsbury Crown Court, the 63-year-old started to shout and rant when he was accused of being a thief.
He was twice warned by Judge Peter Barrie to calm down and not to lose his temper.
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Richard Davenport, Choudhary said he had not stolen any items from the house in Telford. He shouted at Mr Davenport and said the prosecutor should be ashamed to have suggested that he was a thief.
"I have never stolen anything in my life," he told the jury.
Choudhary, of St Helier Drive, Lawley Bank, and 52-year-old Karen McManus, of Waterloo Road, Edgmond, Newport, both deny a charge of theft.
At court yesterday, Choudhary accepted he was annoyed and angry with the tenants who rented the property in Wrekin View, Madeley, and claimed that they had told him stories in the row about the rent.
He denied having used a spade to prise open a ground floor window and that at the time he knew that the tenants, Deborah Jones and Martin Neeson, were still living at the house and entering the property was illegal. He said a cheque from Miss Jones had not been cleared by the bank, but said he did not pay a replacement cheque into his bank account.
Choudhary claimed he had been told the tenants had applied for housing benefit, but on July 10 discovered there was no application and he and McManus went to the house. He said it was in a terrible state and decided nobody was living there and accepted getting McManus to climb in through a window, but said it was insecure because of a TV aerial and they only removed the hedge trimmer and mower.
Earlier, former tenant Martin Neeson said he and Deborah Jones had a six-month tenancy which ended in March last year, but they had stayed on in the premises.
Mr Neeson said
that he and Miss Jones were no longer together, but it had been Miss Jones who had been responsible for the finances and paying the rent.
Mr Neeson said he became aware that Miss Jones had withheld two months' rent, but denied they were in the process of doing a moonlight flit because of the arrears.
The trial continues.
