Two tenants have been evicted from their properties after organising the theft of the boiler from their previous home. As of the New Year both the tenants will be removed from their properties after District Judge Birkby said that Thomas Smith, 37, and his daughter Melanie Smith, 22, showed no remorse for a serious crime that could have potentially resulted in the loss of life.
The pair, both from Kyle Crescent, Southey Green, have until the 25th of January to leave their current homes of residence. It has been reported that Mr Smith failed to return the keys to his previous property at Dryden Road when he left it in March, and then organised the theft of the boiler from the property. At first, Melanie Smith reported the theft as a burglary, but it soon was revealed by police officers that she had lied and that the robbery had been staged so that she could receive £50 for the boiler. She was then charged £80 for wasting police time.
Her father, Thomas Smith, at first claimed that he knew nothing about his daughter’s plans until after the robbery took place. However, when a housing officer told him that it would cost three thousand pounds to replace the boiler, Mr. Smith exclaimed that he should have asked more money for it, thus proving his guilt. Judge Birkby concluded that the council should have an outright possession order for both the Smiths’ property due to the fact that they had been involved in illegal activity.
Councillor Harry Harpham, Sheffied Council cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods, said “We really hope this court case acts as a deterrent to anyone who thinks stealing boilers is an easy way to make money. You could lose your home but more importantly, you could be putting lives at risk by taking part in this extremely dangerous and serious crime.”
Landlords insurance gives landlords protection against tenants that attempt to steal from their properties, and can also pay for legal fees should a landlord decide to take tenants to court in order to get them evicted from their residences.