A MAN who was suddenly left homeless after being illegally evicted from a flat he rented has spoken of his relief after the landlord who threw him onto the street was ordered to pay more than £10,000 and handed a suspended prison sentence.

Zak Plews took up tenancy of a flat in Park Road, Worsbrough Bridge, in October 2017, following a verbal agreement with landlord Mark King.

He had known King for 17 years after working in his family’s shop as a teenager, so when the landlord said he would not have to sign a contract, Zak saw it as a favour from a man he trusted.

“He said there wouldn’t be a tenancy agreement, which I thought was a bit odd,” said Zak, 32, from Worsbrough Bridge.

“But it worked for me, I paid him £85 a week every Friday but some weeks I didn’t have enough and he would give me work on the weekend to cover the rent. He said it meant he could chuck me out at any time. Having known him for that long, I thought it was spot on.”

Zak had lived in shared accommodation before moving into the flat, but had got fed up because he worked nights and would be disturbed by his housemates so contacted King as he knew he owned properties.

Zak, who now works as a roofer, said the arrangement worked for him for some time - but he came into some difficulty paying his rent, and on Saturday May 12 he received a series of thretening text messages from King saying he was changing the locks on the flat.

Zak said he was in Sheffield on that weekend having found an opportunity to catch up on the outstanding rent. When he got back he found he could not get in the flat, and King had left a cardboard box for him to ‘live in’ outside the door.

The flat also contained personal items with sentimental value which are yet to be recovered.

“I owed him some rent, I hold my hands up to that,” said Zak.

“But I was away so I would be able to earn the money to pay him, which I said to him. I never stopped working.

“But when I came back he wouldn’t let me in.”

Zak got in touch with the council’s housing team and began legal proceedings on May 13.

Following a two-day trial, King, of Lyttleton Crescent, Cubley, was found guilty of unlawful eviction and harassment, under the Protection from Eviction Act.

King was ordered to pay a total amount of £10,009.66 - comprising compensation to the amount of £5,509, costs of £4,385.66 and a victim surcharge of £115 - at Barnsley Magistrates Court last Thursday.

King also received a 26-week custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months, along with a requirement to complete 250 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay the amount within 56 days.

“I’m happy with the outcome,” Zak told the Chronicle outside Barnsley Law Courts.

“I’m really hoping it will save the next person he might try to do this to from going through the same situation.

“There are personal items and photos that I will never get back, that’s the most dissatisfying thing. I’m not going to get those memories back but this verdict is the final piece of the puzzle that will help me rebuild my life.”

Wendy Lowder, executive director of communities for Barnsley Council, said: “This prosecution shows our commitment to improving private sector housing and keeping residents safe in Barnsley. We are working hard to make sure all tenants are safe and protected in their housing.

“This should send a strong message to all landlords on how committed we are to improving private housing. We will not hesitate in taking legal action to any landlord who violates the law.”