BATLEY MAN JAILED FOR ASSAULT AND THREATS TO HIS WIFE OVER IMMIGRATION
Following an incident where he struck his wife and threatened to revoke her spousal visa, a man was directed by his family to live with his brother.Waseen Akram, aged 31, married his wife in Pakistan in October 2018, and she moved to Yorkshire to join him one year later.
They had a daughter in December 2022, but their relationship was described as volatile.
Prosecutor Andrew Petterson told Leeds Crown Court that the relationship involved ongoing conflict, including a June 2022 assault in which Akram punched his wife, causing bleeding around her right eye.
She initially did not report the incident because he threatened her immigration status and kept her from seeking medical attention.
Akram was ordered to stay with his brother for a month, but upon return, the couple’s issues persisted.
Police had responded to their home in August 2022 after she contacted authorities, and Akram provided a 'no comment' response during questioning.
The woman later provided a statement and moved into a women’s refuge.
Despite efforts to mend the relationship, violence resumed; she mentioned that the second incident was less serious but wanted to amend her previous statement.
During police interaction, Akram’s anger increased when she refused to reschedule a police appointment; he insisted on listening to her phone call on speaker and subsequently threw her phone against the wall, shattering it.
He grabbed her arm, pushed her onto a sofa, and elicited her screams.
Her sister and mother intervened, prompting police to arrive.
She showed officers a bruise on her arm, attributed to his assault.
Akram denied damaging her phone, asserting she was lying.
She also expressed concern for her safety and her family in Pakistan.
It was revealed that Akram had prior convictions for assaulting emergency personnel, threatening with a dangerous weapon, and causing actual bodily harm.
He admitted to charges including assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage, and common assault.
The court was told that the relationship’s difficulties were partly due to his responsibilities toward his unwell mother, which he refused to leave, but he also wished to move past the issues and had a job installing fiber cables.
His Honour Judge Khan KC sentenced him to nine months’ imprisonment.
