AN Ipswich tenant was offered sex, another was left feeling threatened and a room was wrecked after a kind-hearted landlord gave a roof over the head of a woman he thought was upset and homeless a court heard.

AN Ipswich tenant was offered sex, another was left feeling threatened and a room was wrecked after a kind-hearted landlord gave a roof over the head of a woman he thought was upset and homeless a court heard.

Police ejected the woman from the house after complaints were made but she made menacing telephone calls to the landlord the following day demanding her property back or she would burn the house down.

Emma Lister, prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, said the landlord of the Victoria Street house in Ipswich, Angus Silverstone, had planned to interview Saud Warsame as she was to become a tenant. Ms Lister said Warsame did not turn up on time and when she eventually arrived she did not have any money for rent. Mr Silverstone took pity on the 26-year-old and said she could stay for one night.

Ms Lister said: “It was agreed she would have the room for one night for £100.”

The court heard that Warsame, who has previous convictions, invited rowdy friends to the house who tried to break into an elderly tenant's room. Ms Lister said another tenant was offered “sexual services” and Warsame's room was damaged.

The police were called to remove Warsame but the following day she made 10 calls to Mr Silverstone in two hours and left a voicemail stating, “If you don't let me get my stuff in half an hour I will burn the house down. Do not mess with me I'm going to kick the door down.”

Warsame, who receives Income Support and Tax Credits for her eight-year-old child, told the court she paid Mr Silverstone £200 for the room and when she had phoned him asking for her property back he had hung up.

Warsame of Speedwell Road, Ipswich pleaded guilty to sending menacing messages on May 24. She was told to pay £100 compensation and £60 towards court costs. There was no other punishment ordered.

In a statement that was read out in court Mr Silverstone's wife, Justine, said: “We had acted out of kindness and offered a room to an upset girl.

“So instead of kicking her out on the streets we have had to suffer abuse, harassment and damage to our property and ourselves in return.”

Outside of court Mr Silverstone said the £100 was the money Warsame was supposed to bring for the rent but as she did not have it he agreed to let her stay for one night as she was crying and upset.

He said: “My house was smashed up and was used for drugs and prostitution.”

He said he and his wife now plan to move abroad because they had suffered enough distress and had little support from the police.