The housing association that owns a Harrogate flat where a man was brutally murdered has remained silent over the fatal attack.

Sanctuary Housing Association, a Worcester-based housing organisation, owns flat 17, 8 Strawberry Dale, where 56-year-old Paul Tillett was living at the time of his death.

During a murder trial at Leeds Crown Court - which came to a sudden end on June 27 when the accused, Jason Johnson, was acquitted – the court heard Mr Tillett would invite people to his flat — who would come and go freely.

Philip Watson, 35, who previously admitted to murdering Mr Tillett and is awaiting sentence, abused the open-door policy and took advantage of his victim before torturing and murdering him. 

Watson invited himself into the flat to smoke crack-cocaine and drink, alongside other drug users, and even punched a hole through the wall of Mr Tillett’s flat in a fit of rage four months before the murder.

Leeds Crown Court also heard that on one occasion Watson forced entry into the flat.

According to Sanctuary’s website, the not-for-profit believes “everyone deserves a good, safe home”.

It adds it wants “all residents to live in a safe and peaceful environment” and takes “any reports of antisocial behaviour very seriously”.

But the picture painted by Sanctuary could not be further from Mr Tillett’s own experience, who was vulnerable and victimised in his own home.

Mr Tillett reported Watson to the police three times before his death, yet the murderer, who has been described as a psychopath, continued to bully his victim.

There was also evidence that other people, including Mr Johnson, whose birth certificate was found at the murder scene, had been living at Mr Tillett’s flat at the time of his death.

It is unclear if Sanctuary owns the whole building on Strawberry Dale or just Mr Tillett's former flat. 

The Stray Ferret has contacted Sanctuary several times for comment, including to ask if any steps have been taken to improvement residents’ safety following the murder, but we have not received a response to any of our enquires.

We asked if any lessons have been learned in light of Mr Tillett’s murder and if any measures, such as CCTV cameras, will be introduced to track who is entering and leaving the Strawberry Dale block.

Drug use was prevalent at Mr Tillett’s flat, as highlighted during the trial, so the Stray Ferret wanted to know if Sanctuary would crack down on substance misuse among its residents or take steps to support them with substance issues.

We did not receive a response.

No one from Sanctuary gave evidence at the trial, nor were fingers pointed at the housing association during proceedings.

Sanctuary tells residents: “it’s important to us that you feel safe and happy at home. Always remember we’re here to help if the behaviour of others makes you feel stressed, angry or upset."

However, it does urge residents to contact the police if they fear for their safety, believe a crime has been committed or are in need of urgent help. 

The Stray Ferret has also put a number of questions to North Yorkshire Police about the murder but it has declined to comment until Watson is sentenced.

The Stray Ferret was the only media organisation to cover the two-week trial and provided detailed coverage daily. Without the Stray Ferret, the public would not have been made aware of the horrifying details of this case.

You can read some of our recent coverage here and here, and can find plenty more on our channels.