A Kingston magistrate found guilty of attempting to unlawfully evict Romanian tenants and damaging their property, faces an agonising wait to hear whether she can continue in her role as a Justice of the Peace.

Stephanie Lippiatt was this week cleared of racially aggravated common assault and racially aggravated damage to property, but convicted of attempted unlawful eviction and damage to property worth £5,000 or less.

The 63-year-old, from Lower Ham Road, was on trial at Croydon Crown Court with friend Victor Hawes, 42, who pleaded guilty to racially aggravated criminal damage on the first day of the trial.

Lippiatt, a magistrate for 21 years, was arrested on June 18 last year after trying to evict the partner of tenant Maria Perec from her property in Durlston Road.

The court saw footage of the incident recorded on a mobile phone, which showed Hawes raging and throwing out Miss Perec’s property, while hurling racist abuse at her and partner George.

It showed him calling them “Romanian cockroaches”, while Lippiatt urged him to leave the property.

He was filmed throwing their belongings out of the front door, and clothes and possessions were strewn over the staircase and entrance hall.

The jury rejected evidence that Lippiatt pushed Miss Perec and stamped on her foot during the late-night incident.

Lippiatt told the court she was 63, with no previous convictions, no points on her licence and was of impeccable character.

She said: “I see it in court all the time but that’s not to say that’s how I behave.”

The tenancy dispute was sparked when Lippiatt returned from five weeks in Thailand to news that Miss Perec had moved in with her lover.

Lippiatt said she was happy to let George live there if the other tenants, who included Hawes, agreed, but she became “exasperated” by the couple’s alleged lack of co-operation.

In the end, she agreed to give Miss Perec her money back for the remaining month’s rent, which had already been paid and they said they would both leave the house.

Soon after that it descended into the abusive argument.

Lippiatt told the court: “As a magistrate you see it all the time, two men mouthing off at each other and, nine times out of 10, it comes to nothing.”

She described it all as an “absolute nightmare” and said she just wanted to get Hawes away from the house.

Lippiatt was suspended in October last year, when criminal proceedings started against her.

A spokesman for the office for judicial complaints said: “In light of her conviction, consideration will now been given to the impact of this on her position as a magistrate.”