"it felt like I was caged up, a prisoner."
Shabaz Khan, aged 30, of Hampshire, received an 18-month community order for his controlling behaviour towards his wife, which included attempting to run her over while she was pregnant.
Manchester Crown Court heard he used mobile apps to track her, followed her and imposed a curfew on her.
Salma Akbar broke up with Khan several times but he promised to change.
Ms Akbar read a statement to the court:
“Five years ago I was a bubbly, happy go lucky, smiley strong independent woman. I will never be that Salma again.
“The bruises fade, the busted lip heals, the tears dry, and you can hide the history from the world by putting on some make-up and a fake smile but the thing that you all can’t see is the scars the past five years have left me with.
“The emotional damage that I’m left with, that I can’t explain the severity of it in words, nor can I forget, only because I fell in love with a monster.
“The two-and-a-half years I was with this man it was constant emotional abuse, the constant stepping around eggshells, living on edge in constant fear that he might hurt me further, he might put on extra rules for me to follow, it felt like I was caged up, a prisoner.”
The couple first got together in 2015. They were engaged four months later.
Even prior to their marriage in 2016, Khan was controlling towards her.
David Toal, prosecuting, explained that he monitored her movements using mobile phone apps and told her what she should and should not wear.
Khan restricted where and when she went out, and if she did go out, he would impose a curfew.
They had been living with Khan’s parents in Stretford, but Ms Akbar told him she wanted to leave and moved to a flat in Salford.
Khan moved into her home a few months later and promised to change.
Mr Toal said his behaviour continued, “albeit on a lesser scale.”
In April 2018, Ms Akbar ultimately told Khan that their relationship was over, and she told him to leave. When she asked him to hand over his key, Khan refused.
Ms Akbar, who was pregnant at the time, stood in front of his car. Khan drove at low speed into her, injuring her legs.
She called the police and officers found her crying with bruising to her legs.
Khan was arrested and later bailed. He was ordered not to contact his wife but he continued stalking her.
Ms Akbar noticed Khan was following her when he sent her a ‘thumbs up’ emoji on Facebook.
On several occasions when she went to the Trafford Centre, Khan was watching her and took pictures of her, actions which prosecutors said were “designed to intimidate” her.
Khan was arrested again when he turned up at a restaurant in Rusholme where Ms Akbar was having dinner with a male friend.
Khan, who runs a Stretford-based healthcare consultancy, denied any wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty to stalking his ex-wife and common assault.
Ms Akbar told the court: “It took a lot of strength to persevere, waiting for the court dates for it to be adjourned further, to attend court and to stand up and tell you how it’s still affecting me.
“Although I have to live with it, I got out.
“I really hope women that are in the situation I was can see that you don’t have to continue living that nightmare, not in this century and not in this country.”
Kate Hammond, defending, said Khan wanted to apologise and revealed that her client has moved to Hampshire, where he works full-time and “earns a good living.”
Judge Patrick Field QC said that Khan had subjected his ex-wife to a “planned and premeditated campaign of intimidation”.
He said:
“It represented unacceptable behaviour that has plainly had a deep and disproportionate impact upon her.”
Judge Field went on to say that he could spare Khan jail as there is potential for rehabilitation.
Khan received an 18-month community order, which includes 200 hours of unpaid work and an order to complete a ‘Building Better Relationships Programme.’
Manchester Evening News reported that he was also banned from contacting Ms Akbar indefinitely.
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