Multi-millionaire landlord racially abused Slovakian traffic warden
... after he refused to take ‘coloured tenants because of the curry smell’
A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE landlord has been convicted of racially abusing a Slovakian traffic warden who gave him a parking ticket.
Fergus Wilson, who helped his wife build a property empire worth £200million, previously made headlines for saying he did not want ‘coloured’ tenants ‘because of the curry smell’.
The 71-year-old has now been convicted of a hate crime after his rant at Zuzana Austin, 38, left her ‘traumatised’.
He was caught on camera saying: ‘Do you even speak English? Take your stupid f****** f***y back to your own place where you came from.’
Wilson and his wife Judith bought their first buy-to-let home in 1986 and at one point had around 750. He prompted outcry in 2017 after advising letting agents: ‘No coloured people because of the curry smell at the end of the tenancy.’
The storm led to a ruling by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that landlords could not discriminate against ethnic minorities.
He attacked Mrs Austin – whose husband Michael is English – after she gave him a £70 ticket in April 2018. Wilson had illegally parked his car in Maidstone, Kent, outside two adjoining terrace houses owned by his wife.
The traffic warden’s bodymounted camera recorded the rant that followed. Wilson raged: ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me. Do you even speak English?
Take your stupid f****** f***y back to your own place where you came from.’ He was charged with racially aggravated use of threatening or abusive words and behaviour, and using threatening words and behaviour.
He was initially accused of racially aggravated assault for ‘belly barging’ and prodding Mrs Austin with his finger, but this charge was dropped.
Wilson insisted on representing himself – forcing the court to fund a solicitor to cross-examine Mrs Austin, as it was deemed too intimidating for him to question his own victim.
Wilson, a former maths teacher, claimed the language he used is no longer offensive in the 21st century. He also told Medway Magistrates Court in Kent that it was impossible for him to be racist to a fellow European with blonde hair and blue eyes.
He was found guilty on both counts and told to pay court costs of £650. A fine is certain and compensation and community sentence could follow.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Adele Kelly, said after the court case: ‘ Nobody should have to suffer this kind of hostile and racist language.’
Mrs Austin, who lives in a flat in Maidstone, would not comment but her husband complained about Wilson’s ‘stalling tactics’ in the court case, which dragged on for 18 months.
Mr Austin, 48, added: ‘ My wife has been traumatised by what’s been going on, and she wants to put it behind her.’
Last night Wilson said he could take an appeal to the Supreme Court. He maintains that as signage had been removed he was parked lawfully.
‘Do you even speak English?’