A man has been sentenced to six months in jail for repeatedly attempting to expand his house without obtaining planning permission. Trevor Hadjimina was found guilty of contempt of court for defying a judge’s order to halt construction work at his property in Peckham, South London, where he has resided since 1991.

The legal battle with Southwark Council began in 2017 when they took action against Hadjimina for trying to build on top of a single-storey extension. Despite being issued an injunction in 2018 to prevent unauthorized work, Hadjimina continued to build, arguing that the structure was a caravan. The council later returned to court, accusing him of breaching the injunction.

After confirming the contempt of court allegations in March, Justice Cotter delayed sentencing when Hadjimina promised to remove the structure. However, he was sentenced to six months in prison after failing to appear in court and resuming construction work. Justice Cotter emphasized Hadjimina’s repeated defiance of court orders and disregard for planning laws.

Hadjimina had previously been ordered to stop all work and dismantle a timber frame structure he had built. Despite initially complying, he later erected a large timber-framed structure, which he replaced with a substantial brick structure. During the court proceedings, Hadjimina claimed sovereignty as a “freeman of the land,” denying the court’s jurisdiction over him.

The judge condemned Hadjimina’s deliberate and flagrant breaches of the court order, stating that such actions challenge the authority of the court and the rule of law. The severity of the contempt led to the imposition of a non-suspended six-month prison sentence as a warning against defying legal obligations.