Riverside - Riverside evicts neighbours from hell

29 January 2010

A Dovecot family who have made their neighbours’ lives hell for 10 years are to be evicted after social landlord Riverside won a case to gain possession of their house.

Louis and Margaret Ioannou will lose their home in Grant Close after District Judge Wright found in favour of Riverside, following a five day hearing at Liverpool Civil Court.

The couple will be served with an injunction, which forbids them from entering Grant Close or Grant Road after 10am on the 19th February, or communicating with any of the named witnesses in the case.

The court heard how Mr and Mrs Ioannou breached the conditions of their tenancy by conducting a 10-year anti-social behaviour campaign against their neighbours, subjecting them to repeated abuse and harassment.

Even after Mrs Ioannou was convicted of harassment, and was made the subject of a restraining order in January 2009, she failed to modify her behaviour.

A neighbour said: “I am a victim of a 10-year campaign of vile language and threats. Although you try to get on with your life the fear is always there, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Another told the court: “It’s been a life of hell. It’s so traumatic for my family, it’s destroying us.”

In his summing up, Paul Burns QC representing Riverside, said: “Enough is enough. The shadow of the past is too heavy on the present. Neighbours now have the right to live free from the stress and worry they have suffered for 10 years.”

Giving her verdict, District Judge Wright said: “The neighbours are to be congratulated for having the courage to come forward. They are decent law-abiding people.

“The clear evidence shows Grant Close had an excellent community spirit damaged by the conduct of the defendants. The grounds for possession are most certainly established.”

Tom McGuire, Divisional Director of Riverside, said: “Mr and Mrs Ioannou have been given every opportunity to reform their conduct, but they have refused to take part in mediation, choosing rather to continue to cause distress and upset to other decent people. They have shown no remorse or even any understanding that their conduct has been so appalling. We had no choice but to pursue possession proceedings.

“It is always sad when we have to evict people, but Riverside will simply not tolerate anti-social behaviour where it is within our power to bring it to an end.”

After the verdict was given the principal witness expressed his gratitude to Riverside, the police and the legal team for bringing an end to his ordeal.