A millionaire landlord accused of sending an email to a man claiming he would be shot by the Romanian mafia has had his charges dropped.

Fergus Wilson appeared at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court this week charged with sending a threatening message for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety.

The 69-year-old, of Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, had been due to stand trial on March 27 following allegations that the email had been sent via his letting agent.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to offer no evidence during a hearing at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Mr Wilson was acquitted but a restraining order banning him from contacting Robert Wilding or any of his family was put in place.

At an earlier hearing Kumud Singh, prosecuting, said: "The nature of the threat is he sent an email which stated that the victim and his family will be shot by the Romanian mafia and Kent Police don't have the resources to protect them."

Mr Wilson, defended by Jag Takk, said he did have the email sent to Mr Wilding on August 4 but said it was never meant to come across as threatening.

He had said: “It is not a threat. I was being helpful.

"It was not intended to cause distress, in fact it was intended to be helpful and if I might say we covered the matter with police the day before."