Relieved neighbours throw party to celebrate ‘tenant from hell’ mum who smashed up home finally being evicted
RELIEVED homeowners threw a street party to celebrate their “neighbour from hell” finally being evicted.
Katie Bentley’s landlord Phil Withnall fought for months to get her out of his property which she absolutely trashed in Hull.
Mum-of-five Bentley caused £25,000-worth of damage to the house, ripping up floorboards and smashing windows in the house filled with rubbish.
Landlord Phil had previously offered her £500 to leave the home that used to be “nice”, before she was finally evicted in March.
He ultimately had to go to the High Court to get shut of her, Hull Live reports.
Neighbours on the road had always vowed to throw a “Getting Our Street Back Party” if she was evicted — and they finally got to break out the bubbly.
A 57-year-old woman who helped organise the party said: “We’re having a big barbecue, we’ve got a bouncy castle and we’ve got kids’ games after collecting £85 from residents.
“It has been absolutely great [since Miss Bentley left]. It’s lovely – we can sleep on a night and it’s just great.
“Everyone is so relieved and it means the kids can play out in the street with no backlash off her.”
‘A RIGHT MESS’
Shocking pictures taken inside the home after she was booted out showed the house reduced to a filthy wreck.
A double bed in the bedroom was pictured stacked with old toys, apparently unwanted items and even more rubbish.
The garden was also full of discarded bike tyres, plastic bags and overflowing bins, while several windows have been clearly smashed.
And one shocking photo showed a horse tied up next to a mouldy pile of waste.
Phil said: “There are copper pipes and the central heating boiler missing, the taps were left on, the floorboards had been ripped up.
He accused her of causing £25,000 worth of damage to the property, not paying rent for three months and allowing the house to be infiltrated by squatters.
It is so frustrating because it was a really nice property
Landlord Phil Withnall
The “destroyed” home now has smashed windows and doors and appears empty — but the landlord has been unable to enter because his key doesn’t fit in the lock.
Phil, who owns P&J Properties, previously said: “The house is a right mess and she’s had a lot of friends in the property.
TENANT FROM HELL
“We’ve given her the notice to leave the property and if she doesn’t leave we then have to get a bailiff in to remove her.
“Once that happens if she tries to re-enter it will be a criminal offence.
“It is so frustrating because it was a really nice property but it has been completely destroyed and I’ve not been able to do anything about it.”
The landlord said the neighbours were all “really pleased” to see the back of her and the council have now cleaned up the overflowing garden.
MOST READ UK NEWS
He added: “I’ve been managing properties for 25 years and I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before but you feel by law of averages you are going to get caught up in it one day.”
Bentley previously claimed she was being beaten in her home by “smackheads” who broke into the property in October 2018 and shattered the windows.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.