Lady Pea row: Sex therapist denied rent refund at tribunal

'Lady Pea' Patricia Ramshaw, has been locked in a bitter dispute with the aristocratic Cator family over her tenancy at the Old House in Ranworth for more than a year.

The row saw the warring parties brought in front of a tribunal judge, with Lady Pea seeking repayment of £28,538 in rent paid to the Cators while she has been living in the period home.

The self-styled lady argued she was left "freezing" in the property, which has no central heating and is blighted by damp and mould.

The Cators, however, say that a menagerie of more than 50 animals Lady Pea brought onto the property - including four dogs, two horses and 12 sheep - are "destroying" the gardens and eating from its apple trees.

The parties began to negotiate a surrender of her tenancy in early 2022, and Lady Pea was later paid an initial £17,500 as part of this.

However, after the family received contact from a former partner of Lady Pea these talks broke down and the dispute continues to rumble on.

In the latest dramatic twist, tribunal judge Stephen Evans denied Lady Pea's request for repayment and dismissed her claims that the Cators had harassed her.

The judge did, however, acknowledge that the Cator family had altered a deal with Lady Pea after speaking with her ex-partner.

He wrote: "It is unfortunate for the applicant [Lady Pea] that the contact had the effect of causing the respondent [Sam Cator] to change the terms of his offer of surrender."

The judge went on to criticise the parties for allowing the dispute to end up at a tribunal - suggesting the matter be dealt with by civil means.

He wrote: "The entirety of this case centres on the parties' respective civil rights, which is suitable for an entirely different forum.

"These proceedings provide a salutary lesson for those prospective landlords and tenants who embark on entering a tenancy without defining the ambit of the demise, and without agreeing on all relevant terms of the tenancy, before occupation is taken up."

Speaking after the hearing, Lady Pea said she did not consider the ruling to be a defeat as it had allowed the case to enter the public domain.

She said: "The rent repayment hearing has been very successful for me as I got to see the disgraceful truth of what has gone on.

"I am very grateful to the judge for revealing such awful things."

The judge's report includes allegations made during the hearing that Jane Cator had spied on Lady Pea from a nearby church tower and had moved her animals.

However, the judge ruled that Mrs Cator's explanations for going up the tower - that it was not to spy on Lady Pea - was "entirely plausible".

The report reads: "We believe Mrs Cator when she said she looked at the property - but not specifically the applicant - on all occasions she went up the tower."

The judge also dismissed claims that The Cator family's staff had taken photographs of Lady Pea.

The judge wrote: "We are not satisfied that the respondent or his agents have photographed the applicant in person, as opposed to her animals or the damage they have caused."

As of April 2023, Lady Pea continues to live in the property.

A possession order has been made against her through county courts, but she is seeking to set it aside.

The Cators declined to comment.