Jam loses fight to stay in his home

A pensioner at the centre of a row over unauthorised landscaping will be evicted from his home.
Jam Imani Rad celebrating his eviction with solicitor Helen DentJam Imani Rad celebrating his eviction with solicitor Helen Dent
Jam Imani Rad celebrating his eviction with solicitor Helen Dent

Jam Imani Rad, 67, has until May 8 to leave his home in Harrington Street, Preston, after landlord Community Gateway Association (CGA) won a court order to take possession of the property.

It comes after Mr Rad was found guilty of headbutting CGA repairs manager when staff arrived to remove unauthorised parts of the communal garden following a court order.

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Earlier last year he was also found guilty of using abusive language to CGA staff and breaching an order not to carry out any more landscaping.

A spokesman for CGA said: “Community Gateway Association can confirm that a Court Order has been

granted which will enable us to take possession of Mr Rad’s property.

“CGA has a ‘zero tolerance’ approach in relation to violence against our colleagues.  We are therefore satisfied with the decision of the court.”

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After the court case on Monday, Mr Rad, a former teacher, celebrated the decision at the Mad Ferret pub, describing it as the “end of seven years war with Gateway.”

He said: “I don’t know how many more years I have, but I don’t want to waste it fighting with Gateway. So for me the battle is over and I lost.

“I am proud of what I did and if the time could go back I would have done exactly the same thing. It was my way of saying thank you to beautiful people of Preston for sharing their friendship with me and giving me a job, home, security and love.

“I might now consider maybe going back to Austria, as I am citizen of Austria or stay and die in Preston, but I urgently need a place to move out.”

Since 2012, Mr Rad has carried out around £6,000 of work on land belonging to CGA as well as extensive decorations inside his flat.

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