Stalking and harassment has devastating effects on people’s lives and accounts for nearly half of recorded crimes around Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in the West Midlands.
Police work hard to bring those to justice who bring misery to their victims lives, and have recently succeeded in jailing one offender for five years.
Zia ur Rahman from Birmingham subjected his victim to years of abuse and harassment.
The 31-year-old woman had ended her relationship with Rahman in 2021. Unable to move on with his life, the 33-year-old, of no fixed address, began to follow his victim’s daily movements, checking up on her and questioning her every move. The victim even took out a restraining order to try to prevent any more contact.
In June 2022 things came to a head when he forced his way into her property and reigned blows on her. She took the brave step of calling the police to report the assault and the constant abuse and harassment.
He was arrested in June 2022 and gave a no comment interview throughout his time in custody. But police were still able to charge him and he was remanded in custody as officers continued to piece together the evidence.
He pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to five years at Birmingham Crown Court on 19 April.
Inspector Matthew Owen, from our Public Protection Unit, said: “We would like to commend the bravery of the woman who came forward to report the abuse she’d been suffering for a number of years and we hope it will encourage other victims of stalking to contact us.
“It’s believed that one in five women and one in ten men experience stalking in their lifetime.
“Rahman was fixated and obsessed and repeatedly contacted his victim and continued to do so even when in prison. Stalking is a serious and distressing crime which can escalate, and in some cases, is a pre-cursor to violence or serious harm. Therefore, all reports of stalking are taken incredibly seriously. “