A MALVERN man previously believed to be a victim of exploitation on behalf of drug users has been evicted from his home after police discovered he was encouraging and facilitating drug activity at the residence.
At 10am on July 28, police officers from Malvern Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), in collaboration with enforcement officers and Platform Housing, evicted Mr. David How, 63, from 129 Elgar Avenue, Pickersleigh, Malvern.
This eviction followed a series of incidents related to drug activity and anti-social behavior at the property.
The concerns regarding 129 Elgar Avenue were initially raised seven years ago when the address became a frequent meeting point for known drug users.
The police, along with Platform Housing, later intervened by placing a cuckooing notice on the property.
Cuckooing involves vulnerable individuals being exploited where their homes are utilised by county lines drug dealers for illegal activities.
Officers continued to visit the property regularly to remove problem individuals from the property, in attempts to safeguard Mr How.
After a period without issues, drug users began returning, and reports of anti-social behaviour, including noise complaints, shouting, and fights, surfaced again leading police to reinstate the cuckooing notice resulting in several arrests.
Despite various efforts, including attempts to relocate Mr How to a new address in a different town, he refused to cooperate, and it became evident that he was actively encouraging and facilitating drug activity at his residence.
Over the past few months, Platform Housing and local police officers gathered evidence of the ongoing problems at the property.
Statements from residents and community impact statements provided crucial evidence for the court when Platform Housing applied to repossess the property.
After a thorough legal process and a three-month appeal period, during which Mr How presented no arguments to remain at the address, the courts granted the eviction order.
Throughout this period, despite continuous advice and requests from the police, the tenant continued to allow numerous individuals into his residence.
This lead to several police interventions, including a notable incident where a violent male had to be tasered.
PC David Olczak of the Pickersleigh and Chase SNT said: “It has been a very complex and frustrating process in evicting David from 129 Elgar Avenue.
“We believed him to be a vulnerable victim and did everything in our power to protect and safeguard him.
“More recently, it became clear that although David has health vulnerabilities, he is by no means the innocent party in the activities that were happening at the address.”
Temporary accommodation away from the Malvern area has been provided for Mr How until a more suitable placement can be arranged for him.
