Hidden cameras snare rock wielding OAP
Pensioner who terrorised neighbourhood gets the boot from council house
A rock wielding pensioner who terrorised a quiet neighbourhood has been booted out of his council home after a 17 month probe uncovered his violent antics.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council, who is imposing a zero tolerance stance on troublemakers in the borough, installed covert cameras to snare the bullying tenant.
CCTV pictures proved that Mr Raghunandan, 71, made his neighbour's life a misery by smashing his neighbour's windows more than 20 times. Raghunandan, formerly of Glazbury Road, was evicted last Monday 9 October.
In his summing up District Judge John Smart said, "His denial in the face of overwhelming evidence including the CCTV footage was staggering. He is a dishonest man who has never taken responsibility for his actions.”
Before he lived in the council flat in Glazbury Road Raghunandan had lived in another council flat at 46 Farm Lane where he also wreaked havoc among other frustrated residents.
In February 2001 the council served a notice on Raghunandan seeking possession of his first council flat after allegations were made that he was causing a nuisance by malicious knocking of letterboxes, verbal abuse, throwing bricks at another neighbour's windows, racially abusing another tenant and deliberately flooding the property below his.
Raghunandan was found guilty of harassment and criminal damage and was slapped with a £100 fine and a 12 month restraining order.
At this point the council transferred him to property with its own entrance door away from other neighbours to see if this improved his behaviour, but things only got worse.
Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for crime and anti-social behaviour, said, "We are not going to treat the anti-social yobs who take their council homes for granted with kid gloves anymore. We have a zero-tolerance stance to tenants who abuse other residents and will evict when necessary.”
The case only came to court after covert CCTV surveillance showed Raghunandan lobbing bricks through other peoples' windows.
Cllr Adronie Alford, cabinet member for housing said, "This administration has given council staff a new mandate to get tough on anti-social tenants. In this case, thanks to determined and tenacious casework by council staff, combined with damming CCTV evidence, justice has been done.”
October 18, 2006
