A landlady was fined almost £9,000 after illegally evicting her tenant and using his parrot as an excuse.
Dr Amy Eskander's tenant had refused to pay her more rent during the coronavirus pandemic, when thousands were furloughed or laid off from work.
When she asked her tenant for more money, he refused so she used his parrot as an illegitimate excuse for eviction, reports Coventry Live.
Eskander was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court in December after being found guilty of illegal eviction by a jury.
Addressing her in court, Recorder Brand KC said: "I am quite satisfied that the relationship between you and [the tenant] had been entirely amicable before you asked him for more rent.
"When he didn’t agree, you were peeved and annoyed and the parrot was a useful excuse for him to have to go.
"The irony is that if you had given him a reasonable time, it seemed he was the type of personality who would have packed up and left of his own accord.
"You gave him two weeks and that prompted him to contact the council."
Eskander was ordered to pay a £2,000 fine following the eviction at her apartment in Kenilworth, Warwick.
She also has to pay £3,600 in compensation to the tenant, £3,000 costs to Warwick District Council and a victim surcharge of £190, totalling £8,790.
Recorder Brand KC added: "What followed is that the council warned you of their understanding of his legal position.
"In clear terms they told you in writing that his occupation was protected.
"They advised that you should serve a notice and if he declined to leave you should seek a court order.
"They warned you in clear terms in writing if you didn’t comply you would be committing an offence."
Eskander rented a bedroom in her two-bedroom flat between February 2019 and September 2020 and kept a locked bedroom in the apartment for herself.
The court heard how she displayed "an unattractive arrogance" in her correspondence with the council.
"In his last few weeks [the tenant] had no heating or hot water, and while you did not cause this, you did little to help it," the recorder continued.
"You ejected [the tenant] from his rented home on a Friday evening because you felt you were entitled to have your way.
"I have suspicions that your text that Friday at 4.20pm was deliberately timed to align with closure of council offices.
"It is an aggravating factor that you evicted [the tenant] in the midst of the Covid pandemic. You kept his deposit and the rent he had paid in advance, which he was entitled to.
"You had a trial which of course you are entitled to but the consequences are that [the tenant] had to give evidence, during which his credibility was challenged.
"During that trial you repeatedly lied and made false accusations that [the tenant] had been threatening towards you.
"I have seen little or no sign of genuine remorse from you."
