The co-founder of an estate agency in Cornwall appeared in court last week for threatening to kill directors in a series of shocking social media videos.

Gareth Wills, 42, demanded he be paid what he believed he was owed otherwise directors would “face the consequences”. He made a series of recorded threats to harm directors and their families.

Wills, of Mylor Downs near Falmouth, was spared jail but made subject of a restraining order preventing him from contacting any Lewis Haughton Wills employees or directors, going to their offices or making social media videos about the company.

But on leaving court, Wills, in breach of the restraining order, recorded a video posted to TikTok and Instagram right outside court in which he discussed the case, said he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice and stated he would be pursuing the money be said was owed to him by Lewis Haughton Wills.

Wills, co-founder of Lewis Haughton Wills, was ordered to reappear in court on Friday after Judge Robert Linford became aware of the video and comment.

Judge Linford said the terms of the order were made quite clear and that rather than leave the matter in the hands of the police, he chose to summon Wills back to court under the slip rule.

Addressing Wills, Judge Linford outlined Wills’ breach of the order and demanded “blind and unquestionable obedience” from now on before warning him any further breach would mean 20 months in prison.

A co-founder at a large Cornish property agency, Wills recorded a series of videos during which he threatened to kill his fellow directors if they did not pay him the money he believed he was owed.

Gareth Wills – a founder of the estate agency side of Lewis Haughton Wills which has branches in Falmouth, Penryn and Truro – also insulted his former colleagues in the videos posted on social media.

Prosecuting the case, Michael Brown described how Wills recorded the videos between late May and early June this year blaming his debts on the company not paying him.

During one video, Wills called director Paula Haughton an imp and fellow director Mark Lewis ‘a fat little dwarf’.
Brown said: “He ends the video by saying I’m f*cking sick of this. Pay me the money or face the consequences.

“In the second video, he says ‘send me my money because I’m as hard as the day is long. Pay me my money you f*cking bastards. You’d better get people around them or I’ll explode’.”

Wills was also charged with threatening to cut off the head of Haughton and hold her family at gunpoint and cut Sophie Lang into pieces.

Brown told Truro Crown Court that the threats had a profound effect on the victims, causing them panic attacks and anxiety, as well as obvious fears for their safety.

Wills, who has two drug offences recorded against him, initially made no comment other than to say he was threatened by the company. In a second interview, he went onto make admissions and says the threats were made in the heat of the moment.

The court also heard how Wills had been a victim of sexual abuse when younger which contributed to his poor emotional state.
Sentencing Wills, Judge Robert Linford said: “You were in business in some period of time as a letting agent and you became involved in a dispute with others. Things deteriorated to the point you embarked upon a campaign designed to and succeeding in causing distress and anxiety to the people involved.

“Ms Haughton expressed some sympathy for your position, putting it down to mental ill health and drug use. I’ve seen the communications and they were utterly hateful and in the form of emails and videos.”