Mortgage defaulter Charles Chestnut has been in the news in the UK today after being sentenced for burning down the house that was repossessed from them. There's not a lot about them on the net, so it's difficult to tell if they subscribe to any of the popular loony beliefs or just their own, but there are a few hints in the news, particularly in the earlier story where they received a restraining order:
Man who torched dream home after row with building society is jailed (Guardian)
A man who set fire to his dream rural retreat after a bitter dispute with a building society was found strumming a guitar and cooking on a barbecue next to the burning building by firefighters who arrived to help.
The court was told that in fact Chestnut was no longer the legal owner of Pontyrhodyn because he had stopped making payments. A county court had granted possession to the building society in 2014.
Scapens said: “Two years of further legal hearings followed because Chestnut refused to leave the property entirely and eventually he occupied a caravan in the grounds.”
When asked by the judge, Geraint Walters, if he had any submissions to make, Chestnut, who represented himself, said: “I would like to go free please.”
“The reality is this was their property not yours. You played cat and mouse with them for years. Then you decided to have the last laugh, or so you thought, by burning it to the ground. The offence was plainly deliberate. It was pre-planned.”
From back in 2014:
Farmer banned from his own home (The Pembrokeshire Herald)
A RESTRAINING order has been issued to prevent a farmer returning to his property after he was evicted. Charles Chestnut, age 52 and from Whitland pleaded guilty to illegally entering a residential property with a view to living in it at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court. Chestnut was asked to state his full name and said: “My name is Charles, just Charles.”
He failed to provide any further information to the court. Chestnut lived at Pant yr Odyn Farm up until June this year. He had a mortgage with Yorkshire Building Society but had accumulated over £114,000 in areas so his property was repossessed. Prosecution Solicitor Vaughan Pritchard Jones said: “He was evicted by bailiffs in July but he has on a number of occasions gone back to the property.
Representing himself in court, Chestnut said: “I am still in possession of Pant yr Odyn. There has been no High Court Order. I can not be a trespasser if I am still in lawful possession.” Chestnut was made aware that because he had not appealed to the High Court, which he confirmed, that they would not have any recollection of the case so would therefore not make any decision on the farm.
Although Chestnut pleaded guilty he still continued to plead his innocence and believed he had done nothing wrong. During proceedings Chestnut spoke continuously and at one point Mr Jones requested that he should be held in contempt of court if he did not stop speaking.
Following the reading of the verdict, Chestnut refused to accept the sentence: “I cannot consent to this order.”