The flamboyant boss of a luxury Thames marina whacked a disgruntled houseboat owner - who he was trying to evict - with a pair of gardening gloves during a row, a court heard yesterday.
Threats: Djurberg
Myck Djurberg, 60, also picked-up a heavy-duty lead roofing tool and chased 52 year-old Dutch IT consultant Klaus Beversluis, shouting: “I’ll break your f***ing head.”
There was a confrontation in the office of Hampton Riviera Boat Yard, Hampton Court Road, Richmond at 10.00am on May 8, last year, Wimbledon Magistrates Court was told.
Businessman Djurberg, who lives in a landmark £13m Swiss chalet on the marina was in his adjoining office when Mr. Beversluis, who objected to an additional £5,500 service fee, entered.
He told the trial, which Djurberg didn’t attend on medical grounds: “The second I came in he leapt up from behind his desk and almost ran towards me, shouting: ‘Get out of here! Get out of here!’
“He shouted at me and I said I could not get out and wanted to clarify the matter.
“He came up towards me and grabbed the nearest thing to him, which were a pair of heavy-duty gardening gloves, raised them and hit me on the back of my head and I also got a bruise on my arm.
“I got a smack on my head as I was trying to get out of there.
“He hit me across the back of the head with as much force as as he could muster and the back of my head was red the next day, it did sting, but did not draw blood.”
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| Tenant: Beversluis |
Mr. Beversluis fled the office, but was pursued by Djurberg, the court was told.
“I turned around and Myck Djurberg came out of the office and had grasped a weapon that I had seen before,” he added.
“It is called a lead dresser. It is a very heavy roofing tool, roofers use to hit lead flashing around chimneys.
“He had it raised up high and said he would break my f***ing head in.
“I had no doubt he would use it. I was absolutely terrified and ran away as fast as I could.
“It’s heavy enough to cave someone’s skull in, in my opinion.
“I suppose it has effected my confidence. It shook me up tremendously for a while and I had medical advice for increasing my anti-depression and anti-anxiety medication.”
The entire incident was captured on Mr. Beversluis’ camera and played during the trial, including a still of Djurberg holding the tool.
Mr. Beversluis even bought a replica of the tool and brought it to court to show the magistrates.
Djurberg’s lawyer Kieran Galvin suggested: “You went there to intimidate him and he wanted you out of his office.”
Mr. Beversluis denied this, claiming the marina and office was not Djurberg’s property because the whole site is in receivership.
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| Weapon: Djurberg |
“Savills are trying to get him evicted, he was occupying that boatyard against the law.
“There was no need to to hit me or in my view pick up a deadly weapon and threaten to hit me in the head.”
Just before the confrontation Mr. Beversluis learned Djurberg wanted to throw his caretaker, who looks after his houseboats, out of the marina.
“I got a notification that Mr. Djurberg was trying to get a member of our staff to leave the premises with immediate effect and as that was his home that would make him homeless.”
This was not the only dispute between the pair. “We had pre-paid mooring until the end of June and he claimed we owed money in respect of service charges. that he sprung on us in addition.”
When Mr. Beversluis refused to leave without a refund Djurberg began eviction proceedings.
Djurberg was questioned by police the next day. Prosecutor Mr. James Tucker told the court: “He said he was scared and asked the victim to leave, but he wouldn’t.
“He denied hitting the complainant with the gloves and said that the complainant elbowed him in the chest and his mind was blank about what else may have happened.
“He said the object in his hand was a pencil case and denied using those words.
“He became agitated, saying he was the victim and didn’t intent for Mr. Beversluis to be put in fear and said he had been harassed.”
The magistrates convicted the absent Djurberg, who claims he has skin cancer, but failed to provide medical evidence, of assaulting Mr. Beversluis and using threatening behaviour towards him.
Issuing a warrant for Djurberg’s arrest Chairwoman Mandy Lamplugh said: “There was no aggressive action from the complainant.
“Mr. Beversluis simply entered the marina office and there was an immediate physical response from Mr. Djurberg who jumped up and moved towards him.
“We clearly see Mr. Djurberg raising his arm and the orange gloves are in his hand.
‘We later see Mr. Djurberg armed with the lead dresser, chasing Mr. Beversluis and making threats of: ‘breaking his f***ing head’ are clearly heard on the video.
“We don’t accept Mr. Djurberg acted in self-defence and he has not given evidence or come to court today.
Djurbeg was disqualified in 2017 from being a Company director and fined £35,000, with the alternative if he did not pay of 15 months imprisonment.
He also has a theft from the person conviction in 2001.
“The priority is Mr. Djurbeg should be brought to court and sentenced,” added Ms Lamplugh.
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