has left a swathe of destruction costing thousands of dollars.

Gathan (Jackie) Lathan contacted The Royal Gazette yesterday after his brother and landlord Davis had taken the windows and doors out of his flat.

Construction boss Davis Lathan, who owns another house which Police discovered was being used as a brothel, admitted the damage to Gathan's home on My Lords Bay Road in Hamilton Parish.

But he denied ordering threats to kill his own brother. And he said he was involved in a long-running dispute to get Gathan out of the apartment.

He also accused his brother of vandalising two of his water trucks by smashing the windscreens.

Davis, 55, also complained that unemployed Gathan was three months behind in rent and "showed no signs of paying''.

He said: "There are nine brothers and three sisters in our family.

"I took Jackie in when nobody else would take him in. He came in about six years ago but now he can't even pay the rent.

"Plus, he is a drug addict and I have leant him money which he hasn't paid back.

"I served him a notice to quit but he didn't leave and now an eviction notice is being prepared. He should get that in the next few days.

"I am being victimised. I took his windows out on Thursday night and put them back in the next day just to give him a message.

"I didn't say it was the right way to go about things but it was the way to get some serious attention to let him know I wasn't joking.

"I have also complained to the Police that he put the windscreens in on my trucks on the same night.'' Gathan, 46, denied he was into drugs and he said he had been on a "nine-month rollercoaster'' with his landlord brother.

He accused Davis of several vandal attacks since April, claiming he has had his windows boarded up, screwed down and the locks to his front door changed.

Gathan said his doors, windows and even their frames were pulled out of the flat on Thursday night.

And he said his home had been trashed and belongings stolen and vandalised in a previous break-in.

Gathan, who claimed he paid $750 a month rent, said environmental health officers had already warned Davis the house was unfit to be rented.

And he said the dispute between the brothers began after he refused to work for Davis for nothing.

He added: "Davis and his son Shawn, my nephew, came around on Thursday night to take out the windows and doors.

"When they arrived, I left and called the Police. But the Police took so long that Davis' mission was completed by the time I got back.

"I think my brother is manipulating, mean and arrogant. All I want is for him to go about things the right way.'' The pair have now consulted lawyers in a bid to settle the dispute.

Family dispute goes from bad to worse Gathan's lawyers Trott and Duncan, scheduled for another meeting with him on Monday, have already written to Shawn, Davis and another brother Noel warning them not to harass their client.

The letter accused all three of being involved in a break-in at Gathan's apartment on January 3.

It said Noel and Shawn Lathan told Gathan they would "chop him up'' and "kill him'' unless he left the apartment for good.

Davis, represented by Moniz, George and La Vigne, denied the threats were made and said Gathan was simply warned to "behave himself''.

He added: "They just said: `Jackie, why don't you behave yourself because the way you are carrying on, you make someone want to kill you.'' Davis, from Shelly Bay, said his brother and daughter Dawn had turned against him over a disputed business deal.

And he added that he had no knowledge that one of his other homes, on Rocky Lane West in Crawl Hill, was being used as a brothel when it was busted by Police.

He added: "That had nothing to do with me. I was not involved and as far as I'm aware it is not going on there now.'' Police said Davis' son Shawn was arrested after the "windows and doors'' incident on Thursday.

A spokesman added: "There have been a series of incidents between the two brothers and we are investigating.'' Davis' daughter Dawn, 30, said: "I'm just angry with my dad's behaviour. I think that what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.''