A man has been jailed after he snuck into his wife’s bedroom, beat her with a block of wood and smothered her with a pillow.
Altaf Mahmood was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following a five-day trial at Teesside Crown Court in July after a jury acquitted him for a charge of attempted murder.
Mahmood, 60, attacked his wife on June 27 2021 at her home armed with a block of wood as a weapon and wearing a mask and gloves as a disguise.
The court heard he hit his victim, Yasmin Shahid, four times over the head with the wooden block, causing her to bleed heavily.
He stayed in her house for around two hours after the attack to prevent Ms Shahid from leaving and hid her phone.
Read more: Altaf Mahmood not guilty of attempted murder after beating wife
Ms Shahid was later seen staggering the streets and talking to pedestrians in a desperate plea for help. Mahmood only decided to call for an ambulance several hours later when he was back home in Coventry, the trial heard.
Ms Shahid told of the traumatic effect the terrifying attack has had on her life as she fears walking the streets alone.
In court on Friday, Mrs Justice May DBE told Mahmood: “You made a plan to go up, on your own, with a mask and a weapon in the middle of the night to show her just how dangerous living alone could be. It was an ugly, shameful plan; ignorant too.”
The court heard Mahmood was angered by his wife moving to the North East to start a new life after separating the previous year.
He installed a camera in her bedroom on a previous visit to the house on Maria Street, North Ormesby, and she only found out about the secret device when Mahmood one night called to ask where she was sleeping.
A jury was told she was very angry at being covertly filmed in her bedroom, but Mahmood had warned it was ‘dangerous’ for her to live on her own.
A victim impact statement from the victim Yasmin Shahid read out in court told of the severe psychological effect the attack has had on her life.
“I still feel dizzy when I lie down or get up. Whenever I'm outside, I'm turning back to look if someone is after me. I always check my windows at night that they are locked and they are properly closed. If I hear noise I get up to check. I have this fear that he is outside my house, he is not going to leave me, he will hit me again.
“It has put a lot of impact on my life. I have no respect in my family now because he has defamed my character. Most of the time I tried to stay in my house, but whenever I go out I keep looking to see if someone is following me. That is very scary. I do not have a good sleep now, I can't go to sleep even if there is a slight noise.
“On the right side of my forehead I have a visible scar. This is a constant reminder of what's happened.”
Peter Rowlands, defending, said Mahmood suffers from several health conditions including Parkinson’s and has mobility issues, and asked the judge to consider his severe health when sentencing.
Mahmood was ordered to serve seven and a half years in prison and was handed an indefinite restraining order not to contact his victim in any means whatsoever.
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