King of Everland takes his case to the prime minister
STEVE OGIER, the self-proclaimed King of Everland, has sent a letter to Boris Johnson labelling Guernsey courts tyrannical and extortionate.
As well as detailing the long-running dispute, his letter complains about his treatment by police and says that he was made homeless by the courts during his ongoing planning permission battle to build on his property at Ruette du Frocq.
Mr Ogier declared the property an independent nation in May 2019, naming it Everland after his daughter Evelyn, in response to the rejection of a planning application for a one-storey residence.
He described the property as derelict before he began renovations.
‘It was a wasteland full of rubbish that hadn’t been used since the war before I began work on it.’
He said all he wanted was to be left alone to improve and live off the land.
In January, Deputy Bailiff Richard McMahon refused to recognise Everland as a separate sovereign state.
As a result, Mr Ogier was ordered to remove a lorry body from the property, a move that he says coupled with police intervention has left him without shelter.
‘The judge ruled in court that the van-back was my home and ordered planning to remove it within two weeks, effectively making me homeless.’
He has been asked to leave his current residence because his room mate was concerned about the police showing up and was worried that officers seeking him out at his work could put his livelihood in jeopardy.
An earlier order to cease repair work on the drainage systems in one of the bunkers had led to flooding and the destruction of many of his possessions, he said.
In an appeal to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene in the case, Mr Ogier outlines what he believes are serious conflicts of interest within the system that led to him not receiving a fair trial.
He believed the Bailiff’s dual role, which sees him perform both judicial and legislative functions, meant a fair trial was impossible. As a result, he has contacted a number of law firms to help him launch an investigation into Guernsey’s legal system.
The letter also complained about £20,400 of court fees.
Mr Ogier said his treatment by Guernsey authorities had caused him immense suffering and stress.
