Man dragged ex wife from car and beat her in front of son

Reza Tahmasbei, of Chapel Street in Leigh, pleaded guilty to assault by beating following a sustained attack on his estranged wife at the end of last year.

After hearing the details of the attack, magistrates chose to defer sentencing due to discrepancies in the prosecution’s case and Tahmesbei’s version of events.

The 44-year-old dad-of-one, who moved from Iran in 2016, appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court and admitted to most of the details but denies throttling his wife with a blanket to stop her from screaming.

The court heard how on December 10, 2018, the defendant’s wife had been to the Trafford Centre with friends.

After around four hours of shopping, the victim, who had recently moved over with the couple’s 13-year-old son, started receiving text messages from Tahmasbei asking where she was.

Paul Sumner, prosecuting, said: “He didn’t seem to believe that she was out shopping. She was dropped off at her friend’s house and he was already there waiting for her. She got in the car and he then began shouting at her and quizzing her about who she was with.

“During the journey home he hit the victim several times in the thigh causing bruising.

“When they arrived at the home she has been dragged into the house by her clothing.”

The bench heard how the attack in the car occurred in front of the couple’s son before carrying on inside the house.

Mr Sumner added: “The defendant followed her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed, placing his hand on her throat and squeezing for around 20 seconds. She started to scream, he placed his hand over her mouth and used a blanket to silence her.”

Tahmasbei vehemently denies using a blanket, saying that he put his hand over her mouth because he did not want the neighbours to hear the disturbance.

Martin Jones, defending, implored magistrates not to call for a “Newton hearing” because the differences in accounts would not result in a lesser or higher sentence for his client.

He told the bench: “This is a man who is nearly 45 years of age. He has never been in trouble with the police either in this country or in Tehran. He came to this country fearing religious persecution following his conversion to Christianity and was joined by his wife two years later.

“He says that his wife had gone out and while she was out their son disclosed to my client that she was having associations with a gentleman whilst she was in Tehran without her husband. Her son also disclosed that she had maintained contact via social media before coming to the UK.”

The court heard how Tahmasbei had confronted his wife in the car journey on the way back from her friends the day the assault happened. “He accepts that he had put his hand over her mouth to quieten her,” added Mr Jones.

Magistrates felt that a Newton trial was necessary to determine whether Tahmasbei used his hand to cover his wife’s mouth or a blanket around her neck, as it could impact on whether he is given a custodial sentence. The sentencing was adjourned and a trial of issue will take place at the magistrates’ court on July 15.