What should I do about my violent housemate?

[fzz33]

My housemate threatened me the other day because I closed a door 'too loudly'. I apologised but she said I was 'disrespecting her' and was all up in my face. I told her to back off and stood up to her (not aggressively, I just wasn't prepared to allow myself to be bullied) and eventually she did. As she left she said she would 'beat the sh*t out of me if I did it again. I was shaking but didn't show it until she left. When my other housemates came home they shut the living room door, and she came back in for round 2. She was up in my face again and despite everyone telling her it wasn't me, she shoved me and told me she was going to hit me. My male housemate had to stand between us to keep her away from me. She suddenly left, calling me names and saying I was 'gonna get it', then came back in about 10 minutes later with boxing wraps around her hands, saying she was going to fight me. I wasn't interested in violence, and told her so, and said if she touched me I would simply have her arrested for assault. That set her off even more, 'come on then! try it! I'll beat you black and blue before they get here!' etc etc and both my male housemates had to fend her off me.

I've had to leave the house and stay at my mum's for a few days, both to cool off and because I'm scared of being alone in the house with her. I've informed the landlord, but am wary of telling the police as I have to live with her. No doubt she would come back even more furious than before and it could escalate the problem. A few weeks previously she had also said she would 'get her crew round' to beat me up, so even if she is reprimanded the issue still might not stop.

My options, when I get home, seem to be to walk on eggshells around her, closing doors extra quietly (!) and trying extra hard not to do anything that will set her off, or to live normally in my own home in which case she'll attack me again. What do I do?

[chrissa1]

I would move out if I were you.

[Canary42]

Get her sectioned before she does any real harm.

[lcg]

call the police and then ask your landlord to sling her out x

[Bluestone]

Move out. She sounds crazy!

How old is she, just out of curiosity?

[sunny-dave]

You already seem to have had some good advice here :

http://forums.digital...61628025#post61628025

[boxtops]

I'd do exactly what it says on that other forum - all of you tell the landlord you can't live with her any longer.

[Bluestone]

Dave, how on earth did you find that?

Good job though! :-)

[fzz33]

Thanks Dave - I posted here, and then thought of Digital Spy. Both sites have been very helpful! :)

[joko]

well sadly based on the other post too, i think you would be better and safer if you moved yourself ... because look how this cretin behaved just because you slammed a door - snide violent abusive - for ages, and won't let it drop.
imagine what she will be like if you have her kicked out? ... you dont actually think that will be the end of it do you?
she will be round threatening you still, maybe vandalising the house, maybe break in (if she gets a spare key cut) she may wait for you and attack you with her crew etc

sad to say but this ones a nut and more trouble than its worth.

[EDDIE51]

Get all 3 of you together to go and tell the landlord ''either she goes or we all do'' The prospect of having to find 3 new tenants to should concentrate his mind.

[tonywiltshire]

I am not sure if you are living in a property as a joint tenancy or in a house of multiple occupancy, either way there is often an express condition in your tenancy agreement as to the way you should behave towards other tenants which they will have agreed to and if this is the case you should approach the landlord with your co-tenants using this condition and making a complaint. You may also wish to approach the tenant who is behaving badly and try to establish the reasons for this unacceptable behaviour.
If you wish to go further you can contact the police and say you are concerned there may be a breach of the peace, (you must be genuinely in fear of being harmed) the court of appeal has decided that the police can take action even on private premises where you are concerned harm is likely to be done to you or your property which they will observe if they visit. There must be a reason why this person should act in this way which you will no doubt wish to establish.

[lolfire]

Assault is causing a person to fear immediate personal violence, battery is actually hitting somebody. Phone the police and tell them what happened. You feared immediate personal violence, you have witnesses, you can get her done.
Best way to deal with it, they'll also force her to move out and you'll be under protection so she can't send anybody round to do you in.