The agent blamed by the owner of a house that was trashed by a pair of tenants, who have now been sentenced for criminal damage, has spoken out about the case and the lesson he has learned from it.

He said: “As a direct result of this case, as agents we now refuse to deal with any tenancy where the landlord will not agree to a guarantor.”

Landlord Christine Robson rented out her furnished family home in Helston, Cornwall. After the couple moved out abruptly, agents PDQ Estates  found the pair had wrecked the property and stolen items, and they reported it to police.

The tenants, Josh Smith, 24, also known as Josh Tranter, and Suzanne Tranter, 23, fled to Leicester where they were later arrested.

They admitted theft and criminal damage, but escaped jail. They had caused £5,939 worth of damage and stolen goods worth £838. The insurers refused to pay because Miss Robson had not, as advised, insisted on a guarantor.

The district judge said he had originally considered a custodial sentence for Josh Tranter but had decided to give him a 12-month enhanced thinking skills programme and six months’ alcohol dependency treatment as part of a 12-month court order.

Suzanne Tranter was handed a court order to attend probation appointments as and when required during the next 12 months.

Both were ordered to pay £85 costs and £60 surcharge, to be taken at £5 a week from their benefits.

The landlord said after the sentencing: “I felt let down, by the estate agents, by the courts and the insurance company.

“I think the criminal justice system is wonderful if you are a criminal. I’ve lost my faith in humanity.”

However, Chris Wood of PDQ Estates said that Miss Robson had ignored advice and warnings, and said that while regular inspections had been made of the property, the tenants had concealed damage.

The matter began when social worker Miss Robson needed to move closer to work and decided to rent out her house.

She advertised it on the Cornwall County Council intranet and Smith and Tranter applied to rent the property. Smith turned up wearing a tie and said he worked for the council’s call centre. She gave them the tenancy, took out an insurance with Direct Line, and instructed PDQ to manage the property.

Wood said: “She said she had already got a couple to rent the place. We advised her that we should take out references. She was very reluctant, saying they were work colleagues, but we insisted.

“When the references came back, we were told to get a guarantor.”

The couple apparently told Miss Robson that they were not in contact with their families, and could not provide one. She agreed to let the tenancy go ahead.

Wood said: “We strongly advised her not to take the tenants and that the insurance would be invalidated.

“As a direct result of this case, as agents we now refuse to deal with any tenancy where the landlord will not agree to a guarantor.

“We did regular inspections of the place. It was a bit untidy and dirty, but nothing dramatic, and there was always a dog there. We notified the landlord, but she thought that the dog belonged to someone else and was just there for the day.

“We started getting complaints from the neighbours about the dog, and we passed these on to Miss Robson. We noted and recorded everything.

“I myself did the last inspection. It was a very hot day, but everything was covered with sheets and towels. The tenants told me they were drying their laundry because the tumble dryer had broken down. In reality, they were disguising damage.

“Nor did I spot that they must have broken into the attic and taken personal possessions, before changing the padlock.

“We co-operated fully with police.

“I think this case shows that even if you have a rigorous inspection system, it is very difficult to deal with tenants who are this deceptive.

“I am of course very sorry for the terrible experience Miss Robson had, but she wanted to believe the best in everyone.”

The tenants took furniture, removed kitchen cabinets, and prised heaters and fittings from walls. Anything they could not take was damaged, including flooring, windows and doors. Dog faeces were found in the bedrooms.

Miss Robson said: “They gave me a sob story about being estranged from their families and wanting to make a go of it. I felt sorry for them as they had nothing.”