A landlady used violence, theft and vandalism to illegally evict her tenants in a 10-year campaign of abuse, a jury has ruled.

Victims in Margate saw locks changed, toilets smashed, flooring removed, electricity sabotaged and masked men ordering them to leave.

Sohila Tamiz, 67, also helped organise a gang of 10 to douse one resident in petrol and smash his teeth, the trial at Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Residents of the flats in Athelstan Road told jurors during the four-week trial they were forced to go without heating and were evicted after falsely having drugs pinned on them.

Prosecutors said the offending took place over 10 years between 2011 and 2021, where the private lettings company plotted against 26 tenants.

In total, residents in 10 properties were subjected to breaches of the Protection of Eviction Act, with many illegally evicted, prosecutors said.

Sohila Tamiz, 66, her son Pedram Tamiz, 47, Kasem El Darrat, 53, and Adam McChesney, 39, denied all charges relating to conspiracy to unlawfully evict.

But a jury of 10 delivered unanimous guilty verdicts today after days of deliberation, following what is understood to be the largest trial of its kind.

Forced to use stove for warmth

Over the past four weeks, residents living in the Olympia Homes properties have told jurors of their harrowing experiences.

Anke Angelova, a Bulgarian national, spoke of her horror after moving into a one-bedroom flat in Athelstan Road.

She, her children and mother took the property having not seen it, after signing a tenancy agreement and handing over £1,300.

“It was in a very bad condition. There was mould on the walls, the windows were broken and they couldn’t close properly," Ms Angelova said, with the help of an interpreter.

“The boiler was not working - we had no heating."

Ms Angelova said she and her children were forced to use the kitchen stove for warmth, while they went without heating from November 2020 to January 2021.

Then, when she returned to Bulgaria in July, Olympia Homes letting agents destroyed her bathroom floor, she said.

She said her mother and children were turfed out onto the street and the keys were taken.

On entering the premises “the flooring was completely destroyed”, she told jurors.

“Apart from destroying the flooring they also stopped the water - they also took away the electricity fob.

“I was in the flat for a month-and-a-half with my children and no electricity.”

Ms Angelova said after Thanet District Council supplied a new pre-payment key, the electricity cut off “four or five times”.

Gran threatened by masked men

Julie Box Beaumont, a grandmother, told how masked men threatened her and her partner into fleeing their flat during the Christmas of 2017.

She said the two balaclava-clad thugs became aggressive, after appearing on their landing in Athelstan Road, saying they had sabotaged the power supply.

In her desperation to get to safety, she left behind presents for her grandchildren and a sentimental collection of teddy bears.

And her partner, ex-Army veteran Stephen Dale, lost his war medals, which cost £500 to replace, Ms Box-Beaumont explained.

Ms Box-Beaumont told jurors the eviction came after they fell behind with one month’s rent, due to a spell of poor health.

“Our electricity was immediately cut,” she said.

“The fuse was taken out of our electricity box and we didn’t have electricity for about three days - we had started packing to leave.

“A person who was masked had his arm behind his back and there was another person behind him.

“He made it very clear that if Stephen retaliated he would get beaten.

“I was terrified. I turned to Stephen and said 'let’s go, let’s just go out of here'.”

When prosecutors asked Ms Box-Beaumont if she felt scared, she replied: “I wasn’t scared, I was absolutely petrified, and I’m still having nightmares about it to this day.”

She added that, following a period of sofa-surfing, Thanet District Council helped find them both accommodation.

Belongings disappeared

Another resident, Jennifer Duffey, said Olympia Homes suggested a bag of white powder they had found was hers.

Sohila and Pedram also told Ms Duffy to stump up undue rent, and then removed locks and took her belongings from the property, the prosecution told jurors.

Ms Duffey claimed she handed Sohila £1,600 for a month’s rent and deposit in 2016 before the situation became "tense".

“Sohila and Pedram knocked on the door and said they had found a white bag of powder," she explained.

“We thought nothing of it because it wasn’t ours, and that’s when it all started.

“Sohila rang me demanding rent, but my rent wasn't due just yet.”

Ms Duffey told jurors when she refused to hand over any money, Sohila said: “You need to come and get your stuff and get out.”

She said when she returned with her friend, Debra, Sohila and two men “tried getting us out”.

“They took the locks off the front door,” she said.

“Were you being asked to leave you flat?” the prosecutor asked.

"Yes,” she replied. “It was all shouting and screaming.”

"How did you feel,” the prosecutor continued.

“Scared,” she said.

Ms Duffey told how, after a scuffle, her partner wedged the door shut with a metal bar and smeared shampoo on the floor, so intruders would slip.

She told how Thanet District Council the next day advised her to find alternative accommodation.

But on returning to the flat her furniture and belongings had disappeared, she said.

Asked if she was given her deposit back, she said: “No.”

Toilet damaged and petrol attack

Sohila also took Hayley Griffiths’ key and sabotaged her electricity supply, jurors ruled.

And she also conspired to damage the toilet and acted “in a menacing manner and demanding [the tenants] leave”, prosecutor Michael Polak said during the trial opening.

The court heard 10 men barged into Carl Hopkins’s home, doused him in petrol and beat him, causing him to lose three teeth.

The next day Mr Hopkins’ locks had been changed, forcing him to live in an abandoned caravan, the court was told.

'We are not crazy people'

Sohila told the jury she had no part in illegal evictions, telling jurors “we are not crazy people”.

When prosecutor Michael Polak asked if she ordered 10 men to barge into Carl Hopkin’s home, douse him in petrol, beat him, causing him to lose three teeth, she replied: “It’s not true. It is a story which you are putting that is not true Mr Polak.”

Mr Polak continued: “Young men turned up with bats - nothing to do with you?”

“Nothing to do with me,” she replied.

She argued her firm Olympia Homes had no hierarchy, no boss, and the atmosphere in her buildings was “very nice”.

“Did you order people to go in there and smash up the toilets,” the prosecution asked.

“Of course not,” she replied.

And when asked if she illegally evicted another tenant, Sohila responded: “We are not crazy people.”

Prosecutors played phone footage to jurors, showing Sohila gesturing repeatedly and raising her voice towards a tenant. Sohila denied the prosecution’s claim that she could be heard using the word “scum” three times towards the occupier.

“Are you a person who comes across nice, and can switch and become angry very quickly?” Mr Polak asked.

“Sometimes as a human being I get angry, but not usually,” she said.

Jury delivers verdict

Sohila was convicted of 14 charges which include conspiracy to interfere with the peace and comfort of the residential occupier, conspiracy to unlawfully evict and conspiracy to burgle.

Son Pedram was convicted of seven charges, including conspiracy to interfere with the peace and comfort of the residential occupier and conspiracy to unlawfully evict.

They were acquitted of two charges each.

McChesney, of Gloucester Avenue, Margate, was convicted of five charges, including conspiracy to interfere with the peace or comfort of the residential occupier and conspiracy to unlawfully evict.

He was acquitted of conspiracy to burgle.

El Darrat, of Athelstan Road, was convicted of conspiracy to interfere with the peace and comfort of the residential occupier and conspiracy to unlawfully evict.

"We hope this outcome sends the serious message to other landlords that criminal activity, or any intimidatory or threatening behaviour towards tenants, will not be tolerated, but will instead be routinely prosecuted.”

He was also acquitted of two charges.

Commenting on the outcome, Cllr Jill Bayford, Thanet District Council's cabinet member for housing, said: “This is a landmark prosecution for us, and underpins our key priority of ensuring the ongoing safety of all of our residents.

"We hope that this outcome sends out the serious message to other landlords in the district and further afield that criminal activity, or any intimidatory or threatening behaviour towards tenants, will not be tolerated, but will instead be routinely prosecuted.”

The council will now start to gather victim impact statements ahead of sentencing, which is due to take place on Monday, October 10.

The council believes the case is the largest ever prosecution of its type for offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.