'Raging' dad leaves ex in fear of her life as toxic relationship turns violent

Aggressive Saman Hatami bit his partner in two places during a savage attack. And two years later, as part of a campaign of harassment, the 34-year-old throttled her by squeezing her neck in her Hanley home and sent her abusive text messages.

Other incidents included threatening to burn her house down, chasing her around her home and scratching her stomach with a screwdriver.

Now Hatami, who was arrested in December for illegally staying in the UK, has been jailed for three years and four months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Lucinda Wilmott-Lascelles said the defendant and his victim were in a 'toxic' relationship for 10 years and it ended in October 2021.

He harassed her between December 3 and December 7 last year. Hatami became angry when she said she was thinking of taking their son to church. Miss Wilmott-Lascelles said: "Ten minutes later he turned up at her home address, uninvited. The door was locked. She heard him shouting at people outside the property and was concerned for her neighbours. That is why she went outside and unlocked the door. He forced his way inside. She described him as raging.

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"He grabbed her by the throat using his right hand and forced her against the hallway wall. She described him squeezing her throat. She could not breathe. She was scared of what he was going to do. Eventually, he released his grip.

"He became angry again. She described him pouncing on her. He shouted, 'Get upstairs slut'.

"He decided to leave and stood outside the property and called a taxi. She could hear him shouting and arguing with the taxi company. He returned to the property. He was seen to spit on the floor in the doorway. He then left in a taxi."

The court heard Hatami sent his victim abusive texts and threatened to damage her house.

He returned on December 5 and again called her a slut. He made threats to kill his victim and burn the house down. Miss Wilmott-Lascelles said: "She believed he was capable of that.

"The shouting continued. She went upstairs and locked herself in the upstairs bathroom. She called the police. She left the bathroom and the defendant saw she was recording the conversation. She described him chasing her around the property."

Police arrested Hatami on December 11. The victim made a further disclosure that he assaulted her on April 21, 2021.

Miss Wilmott-Lascelles said: "He turned up. He was very angry. He was shouting because she had not answered her phone. He let himself into the property. A verbal argument escalated and he became physical. He bit her underneath her right bicep and bit her right hand. And he scratched her stomach with a screwdriver."

In a victim statement the woman said she has 'suffered mentally, physically and emotionally'. She had suffered severe depression and asked for a restraining order to be imposed to protect her as she is in fear for her life. She added: "I was terrified in my own home. I have trouble sleeping and often have nightmares of him coming for me. I need counselling."

Hatami, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and harassment.

Anis Ali, mitigating, said: "This was an unhappy and inappropriate relationship. He recognises that the relationship is now at an end. There is no prospect of a reconciliation and he does not seek one."

Hatami was sentenced in his absence due to his aggressive outbursts in the dock. Recorder Julian Taylor made Hatami the subject of a restraining order which prohibits him from contacting his victim, going to her street or workplace or the child's school. It will run indefinitely.

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