A desperate homeowner exploded with frustration after a long-running dispute with a tenant – and dismantled his own house starting with the roof.
Louis Scudder, 52, was at the centre of a 24-hour stand-off with police after he set off on a mission to demolish his three-bedroomed terraced property.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Friends told how Mr Scudder snapped after reaching the end of his tether following a 17-year battle to take back control of his £150,000 home which he became convinced had been ‘stolen from him’.
When the rampage ended, he left behind a scene of devastation which neighbours likened to ‘a disaster movie’.
THE ONE-MAN DEMOLITION
Residents told how they were left in fear of their safety after Mr Scudder climbed onto the roof of his property and began ripping off tiles with his bare hands.
He smashed down walls and fittings with a sledgehammer before taking up position upstairs in the property hurling debris to the ground for hours on end.
His one-man demolition operation saw police seal off the property and evacuate nearby homes in Sheerness, Kent.
Officers in riot gear were drafted in while specially trained negotiators tried to coax him down from the rafters of his wrecked property.
POLICE CAME AROUND…
Ambulance crews and fire fighters were also called in amid fears damage to pipes and cables could cause an explosion.
Walls came crashing down and pipe work was shattered as Mr Scudder rained blow after blow on the property reducing brickwork to piles of rubble.
…HE PROTESTED
He allegedly told officers: ‘I’m not coming down until I’ve destroyed the whole place. I’m going to take it apart brick by brick.’
COURT HEARD
Mr Scudder claims he was left homeless after he asked a relative to rent out the property and a long-term tenancy agreement was put in place without his knowledge.
He told friends he felt powerless to take back his property until the lease came to an end earlier this year.
He claims tenant Ayesha Kramer, 50, should have quit the property and decided to take direct action amid a series of civil legal actions.
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Back in March it’s claimed that fearing the authorities were against him Mr Scudder waited for Ms Kramer to leave the property before removing her possessions and dumping them outside the changing the locks.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?
On Tuesday Mr Scudder was told he is facing jail when he appeared before Canterbury County Court after he failed to comply with an order to allow Ms Kramer back into the property.
Mr Scudder is also being sued by Ms Kramer for unlawful eviction for which she is seeking damages.
He is counter suing saying he is owed £14,000 in rent arrears and £17,000 damages to the property he claims were caused during Ms Kramer’s tenancy.
Mr Scudder is due to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on September 13 accused of burglary with intent to cause damage.
