Two Kingsbury men have been convicted of obstructing a Brent Council housing enforcement officer from doing his job and holding him against his will.
Willesden Magistrates Court heard that Riken and Raj Patel became highly aggressive towards the officer while he was helping resolve a dispute between them and their landlady at the property they rented on Brampton Avenue, NW9.
Although it had been legally rented to him, his wife and two children, Riken Patel then secretly allowed Raj Patel and six other people to stay in the house without the landlord's permission - something that was expressly forbidden by his tenancy agreement. He then became hostile to his landlady when she discovered that the house had eleven people living in it and was dangerously overcrowded.
Both Riken and Raj Patel were convicted of obstruction. Riken Patel was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,318 - a total of £3,318. Raj Patel, who did not even bother to turn up for sentencing, was fined £2,500.
The tenants, who have not paid their rent for the last five months, are in the process of being evicted by their landlady at the moment.
