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Barnet, Enfield and Haringey
Mental Health NH$ Trust
Views of family
I telephoned Ms Cordell on the 7 th November 2018. Ms Cordell told me that neighbours
have been “terrorising” his son since 2014 in particular a neighbour on the 2 nd floor. Ms
Cordell told me that whilst her son is in hospital her nephew has been staying in the flat to
look after the dog. The nephew has reported that the occupier on the 2 nd floor have been
“banging” on the floor. She said that the neighbour then realised that her son is not in the
flat when they saw the nephew coming out of Mr Cordell’s flat. She told me that since the
26 th October the “banging” has stopped. She said that she has complained about the
neighbour herself but thinks these situations are misinterpreted by the council and the
mental health services and her son is then seen as the perpetrator and or being mentally
unwell. Ms Cordell stated that the sound proofing is lacking and the noise is real. Other
neighbours have made allegations that Mr Cordell has been aggressive towards them.
She said that there is no evidence of this; police have seen CCTV and found that her son
had not left the flat at the time when these incidents were alleged to have happen. Ms
Cordell gave another example in 2016 where it was alleged by a neighbour that her son
had made threats to kill him. She said that the police initially charged her son with making
threats to kill; after seeing video evidence they charged him with a ‘Public Order Offence’.
She said that around the time of this alleged incident her son was in his flat with some
friends. Her son was not allowed to his flat and was bailed to her flat where he stayed until
December 2016. She said that the CPS after seeing evidence dismissed the case a day
before the trial. She said that the council has never taken the responsibility to look at
evidences; the allegations made against her son (physical assault, letting his dog on the
loose) have not been proven. She said that on the 9th August in court the Judge ordered
Enfield Council to move her son to a 2-bedroom flat but the Council wants/plans to evict
him instead. She said that the Council has no grounds to apply for her son’s eviction.

She said that her son has a one bedroom flat. She said that he does not want to live there.
She said that he needs a 2 bedroom flat with the plan that his cousin could stay with him to
provide emotional support. She said that her son has everything he needs in the flat. She
told me that her son is very independent in activities of daily living; his personal care is
extremely good; he cooks for himself, maintains the flat and takes responsibility for his
bills. She told me that he has no financial difficulties/no debts.
She said that her son has a work history. In 2010 he was planning to set up a business in
the entertainment industry. He has also built websites in relation to this. At present he is
not in employment. He is in receipt of Employment Support Allowance but needs to make
an application for Personal Independent Payment.

I asked her if she thinks her son has a mental illness; she told me that he suffers from
stress and anxiety due to issues with the neighbours but does not think he has a mental
illness. She said that the judged looked at evidence and did not grant a warrant in October
2018 for a mental health act to take place at her son’s flat.

I asked Ms Cordell if she thinks her son could benefit from support from the community
team. She said that he could do with some support but “we should stop labelling him as
being delusional as he is not delusional”.

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