A COUNCIL tenant who was hit with an injunction and ordered to pay the Town Hall’s £5,000 costs has said he will appeal against the court ruling.

A court decided two weeks ago that Pleydell estate resident Sacha Van Spall, 47, risks arrest if he is found in the next 12 months to “engage in conduct which causes harassment, alarm or distress” to any council employee or contractors working on the estate.

The Town Hall began legal action following six incidents last year during which it claimed Mr Van Spall was either “verbally abusive” or “intimidating” towards staff on the estate, near Old Street.

But Mr Van Spall, who had to represent himself in court because he could not get legal aid, said he was victimised after “passionately” raising health and safety issues on the estate, where Breyer Group are undertaking maintenance work.

Mr Van Spall said he received a letter from MP Emily Thornberry about the case this week.

He added: “I’d like Emily Thornberry to have Islington conduct an internal inquiry about the process that led the council to take legal action, the investigative process, the numerous flaws and the failure to comply with their own policies and procedures.

“I have not thought about the costs of £5,000. It’s what I live on for a year. They might as well have ordered me to pay £5million.”

The council has said it only ever seeks an injunction as a last resort. A spokesman said officers were “very concerned” about Mr Van Spall’s behaviour, adding that these concerns were later shared by the court.

• Keywords
  COUNCIL TENANTS, FINES, LEGAL ACTIONS
• Geographical keyword
  RADNOR STREET
• Persons keyword
  Sacha Van Spall, Pleydell Estate