26th Aug 2013

Assault / Honour related

Legal representatives from Abbey Solicitors defended a defendant who was accused of attempting to strangle his daughter for refusing an arranged marriage.

The defendant was accused of trying to strangle his 16-year-old daughter after she refused to enter into an arranged marriage with her cousin. His two sons were also convicted of assaulting the teen.

The prosecution claimed the father-of-five snapped after discovering his daughter refused to follow strict Islamic tradition and embarked on a romance with a student she met through Facebook. She had previously run away from home to be with him.

At Manchester Crown Court the defendant was convicted of assault and making threats to kill. He admitted his daughter’s conduct had disgraced his family and caused him ‘mental torture’, but denied any wrongdoing.

In his defense, the defendant claimed his daughter was free to marry whom she wanted and accused her and her boyfriend of making false accusations.

The defendant told the court:

“I told her, if you want to go with him, you are at liberty, but adopt a proper way, a civilized way, a modern way. We can’t force you. But I got told by someone that they made a plan that farther should go to jai.”

Abbey Solicitors formed the defending case, which successfully led to the three men avoiding jail time.

The judge concluded the court hearing by claiming that the defendant appears to be a man of high standing in the local Asian community and one who takes his culture, religion and family very seriously. The judge was satisfied that the alleged attack was likely to be a loss of temper, committed in the context of his religious and cultural beliefs.