BRADFORD MAN JAILED FOR ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING AND VIOLENT ATTACK
In Bradford, a controlling husband was caught on CCTV attempting to kidnap his estranged wife at a shopping mall and then ran her over during her attempt to flee.At Bradford Crown Court, footage from the Broadway Shopping Centre was presented, showing Varinder Singh, aged 28 from Tipton in the West Midlands, holding the woman in a semi-conscious state by strangulation before forcing her into his car.
Another clip displayed her exiting the rear of the vehicle, only to be deliberately driven at by Singh.
The judge, Bryan Cox KC, stated that it was by sheer luck that the woman avoided more serious injuries after being struck by Singh’s car.
Several young men who saw the incident came to her aid and detained Singh.
The woman’s victim impact statement detailed recurring flashbacks of the moment she was run over and mentioned that she had injured her knee in the collision.
She felt unsafe given Singh’s actions in a public place and expressed concern over his capacity for violence.
The court learned that the couple had separated but agreed to meet to discuss their divorce proceedings.
The meeting appeared to be amicable until Singh took her mobile phone and refused to return it, which led to the assault.
The footage showed Singh choking her behind his parked car before placing her semi-conscious body into the rear passenger seat.
Singh, who had no previous criminal record, remained silent during police interviews but later admitted guilt to attempted GBH with intent, kidnapping, and assault.
He also admitted to earlier charges of assault and criminal damage from the previous November.
Singh was sentenced to six years in prison and a lifetime restraining order was put in place to prevent him from contacting the woman.
The court was told Singh wished to return to his family in India, and the sentence would likely result in deportation.
A lawyer said Singh described experiencing mental torture during the incident and initially tried to reconcile with the woman, but his loss of self-control led to violence.
The judge emphasized that the crime was not a spontaneous act but a serious attempt to exert control in the context of their relationship.
CCTV footage demonstrated that Singh aimed to seriously harm his wife by driving toward her at speed, with the court praising the good fortune that her injuries were not worse.
Additionally, Singh was disqualified from driving for six years and required to pass an extended retest afterward.
