BUSINESSMAN Farzin Hakimi could face paying his victims at least £150,000 after forcing five people from their homes.

A civil court in Swindon has heard that Hakimi, 47, from High East Street, Dorchester, carried out a frightening and systematic campaign to drive homeowners and tenants out of flats above his kebab shop business, in order to claim the properties as his own.

Barrister Mark Loveday, representing the victims, said that this was the most serious case of illegal eviction he had come across in court records, involving assaults, windows being smashed and flats being boarded up to prevent the owners getting into their own homes.

But Hakimi, who is still wearing a tag after being released from prison, where he was being held for illegal eviction and harassment, failed to appear at court to put up a defence.

Judge Charles Wade is set to make a judgement today about how much to award five of Hakimi's victims in what he described as an 'extraordinary' case with 'pretty spectacular facts'.

He heard claims yesterday that Hakimi threatened and assaulted leaseholders and tenants until they were forced to leave.

The flat owners, who had all bought 99-year leases, claim the problems started when Hakimi's sister Farideh bought the freehold of the building in 1999.

Mr Loveday said that Hakimi first started to cause trouble by removing the door to the car park at the back of the building and disconnecting the light in the hallway.

He said that Hakimi threatened, then assaulted, 60-year-old throat cancer sufferer Richard Wansbrough, who was forced to move out. Mr Wansbrough tried to rent out the flat, but the estate agent pulled out after being approached by Hakimi. Then, when Mr Wansbrough rented out the flat to David Coxhead, it is claimed that Hakimi and one of his henchmen broke the door down while he was in bed, threatened him, then nailed a legal-looking notice to the door.

The men then changed the locks on two of the flats. Injunctions were taken out to stop Hakimi from entering the flats, but he is said to have ignored them.

Another leaseholder, Simon Conibear, claims he was assaulted and when leaseholder Robin McLaren let his flat to his brother Martyn it is claimed that Martyn was also assaulted.

Mr Wansbrough says that about this time, in September 2000, Hakimi also took away his wardrobe full of clothes and destroyed it, sending him the bill for its removal. Mr Conibear's then tenant, a nurse called Miss Beddoes, wanted to buy the flat but then served notice to quit 'due to stress'.

On July 4 last year Hakimi boarded up Mr Conibear's flat and a week later he removed the doors of Mr Wansbrough's and Mr McLaren's flats and boarded them up on the pretext that he was owed ground rent and service charges. Hakimi let the flats out to tenants and is said to have taken the rent.

Mr Loveday said: "Two serious violent incidents then occurred which involved the police.

"First, for nine nights a Mr Andy Rowe threw bricks through Mr McLaren's window - a matter for which he has been convicted of criminal damage - and the police have stated that he told them while the interview was not being recorded that he was being paid by Hakimi.

"Secondly, a potential witness in Mr Hakimi's prosecution for the theft of Mr Wansbrough's possessions, a Mr de Lima, was threatened by a hooded man and withdrew his statement to police."

Hakimi was given a one-month suspended prison sentence in July this year for contempt of court.

The five claimants are suing Hakimi and his sister, who lives in Germany, for more than £80,000 in damages, plus interest, including money for stress, lost revenue and expenditure on alternative accommodation. They are also seeking legal costs, which could run beyond £60,000.