Landlord accused of homophobic abuse

A landlord has been accused of hurling homophobic abuse at his gay tenants, even after they moved out of his property. 

The gay couple, Olly McLellan and his partner Scott Cole, have now reported their former landlord to the police after accusing him of still being homophobic towards them despite no longer living in his house in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

They have made a string of accusations against their former landlord, including shouting homophobic abuse about them, blocking their driveway and refusing to fix things in the property because they were gay.

They claim landlord Jason Gwillim, 52, launched a campaign of hatred against them when he found out they were gay, a week after moving in.

Within days of moving into their new home, they received a card saying: “The Ugly Poofs – sleep well”.

They also found rubbish dumped in their front garden which they believe to have been left there by their former landlord.

The couple, which ended their tenancy agreement early and moved to Rickmansworth, even installed a security camera inside their home which caught the landlord prying around their former property without consent. 

McLellan and Cole told the Metro newspaper that they felt like prisoners in their own home shortly after moving into the £1,200 a month two-bedroom house in January this year.

“We spent seven months being so paranoid, from moving out of that house into a new one felt like we’d finally not have to worry,” said McLellan.

He added: “We didn’t want to stoop to his level and we refused to deal with him.

“I’m not sure if the estate agents told him before we moved in that we were gay, as they thought two guys were moving into a two-bed house.

“But it’s got nothing to do with him whether we’re just friends or in a relationship so long as we pay the rent on time.”

A spokesman for Herts police said: ‘Police are investigating following an incident at an address in Rickmansworth.

“It has been reported that a card containing an offensive message was delivered to an address and that bags of rubbish and grass trimmings were left outside the front door.

“Enquiries into the incident are continuing.”

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