Public housing residents terrorised by 'Sheriff'

HE'S the self-styled "sheriff" of a posse of enforcers who residents claim terrorise and extort money at a public housing estate in inner-city Adelaide.

HE'S the self-styled "sheriff" of a posse of enforcers who fellow residents claim terrorise and extort money at a public housing estate in the inner-city suburb of Gilberton.

Terrified residents and neighbours of Mellor Court - or "Hellor" as they call it - say they have seen the gang boss and his lieutenants deal drugs, use standover tactics, break into flats and cars, fight, hold loud drunken parties and threaten lives.

Most of the victims were so fearful of retribution they only spoke to the Sunday Mail on the basis of anonymity.

But Andrew Bennett, who said he was "sick and tired" of the gang's stronghold on the 54-unit mostly Housing SA estate, was prepared to be identified.

"I moved into the estate about three years ago, and not long after I found out there was a gang of about six or seven people - led by a guy who called himself `The Sheriff' - who were living in various units in the estate and were bashing people and breaking into cars and units," the 38-year-old disabled pensioner said.

"I could also hear them boasting about all the different drugs they use, like speed, heroin and pills, because they don't care who knows about it."

When approached by the Sunday Mail,  the "sheriff", a 45-year-old resident who was convicted of assaulting police in 2008, was not willing to discuss any of the accusations. "Do you believe everything you're told?" he said.

Police confirmed they "have attended the estate at Gilberton" in response to reports of criminal incidents and "are continuing to monitor the situation".

"Police encourage anyone who is a victim or is aware of any intimidation or other criminal activity to report it," a spokesman said.

Mr Bennett said he had been forced to move after telling the gang in October he'd had enough of its intimidation and had told the police.

"I told police about the threats and they said I would be better off moving out," he said. "So I've been living with my cousin for the past seven weeks, although I'm still paying rent while I wait for a unit in another location."

Another Mellor Court resident, who wanted to be known only as John, said that "the cops are always here dealing with noise complaints, break-ins, property damage and domestic disputes".

"I call the place `Hellor Court' because its like living in hell here, and the other residents are really p***ed off," he said.

"But I'm not going to put in a complaint because I could be subjected to retribution, I'm even nervous talking about it now."

A woman whose middle-aged intellectually and physically disabled son lives on the estate, said he was regularly bullied, called a "Minda" and intimidated to hand over money.

"They use bully tactics to get money from vulnerable people and I don't know how much they've extorted from my son," the 72-year-old woman said.

"Gilberton is a nice suburb and you would have thought the estate was in a good location but that's not so."

A Mellor Court resident said he had complained to Housing SA, which owns most of the units, about the situation, saying it had "become even worse in the past six months".

"I guess the leader is called the sheriff because he calls the shots," the man said. "I know he is a troublemaker and so are the rest of the gang.

"There is drug dealing and yelling, screaming and fighting any time of the day or night."

Another neighbour, who also did not want to be identified, said: "I fear for my safety. Their behaviour is so unpredictable - one morning one of them threw a beer bottle at me when all I was doing was checking my mail box."

Housing SA said it understood tenants could be reluctant to come forward - but said information could be supplied anonymously.

"Clearly there is an issue here, whether it is our tenants or others, we can take action, doorknock, work with police and look for a solution," Housing SA executive director Phil Fagan-Schmidt said yesterday.

"We absolutely want tenants to talk to us or police because the more information we have the more positive steps we can take, because no one deserves to live in fear."

Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire, who has a private member's Bill before Parliament to crack down on badly behaving public housing tenants, said the situation at Mellor Court was "unacceptable".

"It's symptomatic of many situations where the system supports the disruptive tenants and doesn't look after the peaceful tenants," he said.

"Public and community housing is a privilege, not a right, and should be treated as such by those fortunate enough to get it given the tens of thousands of desperate people on waiting lists to get into that housing."