Landlord avoids prison for harassing his tenant

A landlord who admitted harassing a mum to leave her rented Bangor home has avoided prison.

Matthew Betty was given a six-month jail term suspended for two years.

The landmark case — thought to be the first in Northern Ireland — was brought by Ards and North Down Borough Council and heard that in one episode, men posing as paramilitaries showed up on the doorstep of the woman’s Ballyquinton Gardens home to threaten her.

However, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC said while there was no evidence 41-year-old Betty directly contacted, still less engaged the men, “nevertheless by his actions he facilitated the visit and the fears it engendered”.

The judge told Betty in addition to this, other aggravating factors included the length of time over which his harassment continued and his moves to deliberately get the water supply to the property turned off.

Judge Miller said Betty from Ty Pwca Place, West Pontnewydd, Cwmbran in Gwent, harassed the woman, making unsubstantiated claims in a near barrage of emails, texts and phone calls at all times of the day.

In written submission prosecution counsel Chris Holmes revealed that Betty was warned about his behaviour by local council workers on several occasions who advised him of his tenant’s rights.

Betty ignored the warnings, twice refusing to attend meetings to discuss the matters.

Judge Miller said the submissions also detailed how Betty turned up uninvited at the house when the woman’s daughter was home alone.

Although he did not gain entry, he returned a few days later with the police and the woman “was coerced” into letting other potential tenants view the property, which he had also advertised on Gumtree as being vacant for occupation.

Betty who works ‘in a public service capacity’ providing Covid supports to the NHS in England and Wales, pleaded guilty to the harassment charge under the 1978 NI Rent Order. Following his plea, four other charges were “allowed to remain on the books”.

Speaking last week after Betty’s earlier guilty plea, his victim said she and her 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.”

A BANNED motorist who drove through a hospital site so fast that his car left the ground has been jailed for four months.

Richard Jones also collided with another vehicle as police pursued him in west Belfast last month.

A judge told the 23-year-old mechanic that someone could have been killed by his “appalling” actions.

Jones, who is from Ardoyne Road in the city, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard yesterday that he was behind the wheel of an Audi spotted on the Springfield Road on January 12.

The car then headed through the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital, with all four wheels leaving the ground as it went over speed bumps on the hospital grounds.

Police at the scene noted members of the public at the hospital were in a distressed state, a prosecutor said.

As the Audi approached the exit onto Broadway, it veered onto the wrong side of the road and struck another parked vehicle.

It continued on the footpath before coming to a stop.

Jones got out of the vehicle and ran off, but was detained nearby.

He made full admissions, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Eoghan Mckenna acknowledged: “He’s very fortunate no one was injured in this terrible incident.”

Mr Mckenna told the court Jones had been asked to move a pram for his partner, and wrongly decided to use a car instead of walking.

“Once he became involved with police he should have stopped, but he panicked,” the lawyer said.

“It was a massive error of judgment.”

The court heard Jones’ previous record includes convictions for hijacking and dangerous driving.

District Judge Peter Magill gave credit for the guilty plea, but said he had been “caught red-handed” in the latest incident.

He told Jones: “This was absolutely appalling behaviour on your part.

“It’s only by the grace of God that somebody wasn’t seriously injured or killed by your driving.

“You hit one car driving through the hospital’s grounds at speeds so fast that you took off at one point.”

Imposing four months’ custody, the judge also disqualified Jones from driving for a period of five years.