Man pleads guilty in attack on wife’s boss

CLASH OF CULTURES

TONY BLAIS EDMON TON • An Iranianborn Edmonton man has been ordered to take anger management courses after a “nasty” attack on his wife’s boss stemming from a male co-worker saying hello to her in a mall.

Aadel Moradi, 39, was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for 18 months Tuesday in provincial court after pleading guilty to assault charges over what was an apparent clash of cultures.

“This was very nasty,” said Judge Kirk MacDonald, who described the Nov. 6, 2015, incident as a minor assault with “disturbing” undertones.

“You are now in Canada. We do not place restrictions on the way that women live here, unlike in some other countries,” said MacDonald, adding it is “very sad” that Moradi doesn’t see it.

The judge told Moradi, a Kurd who emigrated to Canada from a city near Tehran about 15 years ago, that he had considered sending him to jail, but accepted the joint submission by the Crown and defence lawyers.

“Just because you think someone has displayed bad manners, getting into a fight is no remedy for that,” said MacDonald.

Crown prosecutor Bethan Franklyn told court that Moradi and his wife had been at a city mall in late October 2015 when one of her co-workers came up to say hello.

Moradi asked the man how he knew his wife, then told him not to talk to her, said Franklyn.

On Nov. 6, Moradi went with his wife to the downtown office where she worked and asked to speak to human resources about the mall incident, the prosecutor went on.

Court heard he eventually spoke to Ross Undershute, chief executive of the health consulting organization, and stated, “No men are allowed to speak to his wife and she can’t speak to any men.”

After Undershute explained that would not be possible, Moradi became irate and refused to leave the premises after being asked to do so.

He tried to kick Undershute, and “clawed and scratched” his face before spitting at his face, said Franklyn. He also unsuccessfully tried to kick, knee, slap and bite Undershute.

Court heard Undershute suffered scratches to his nose and lip.

Franklyn said it was aggravating that the assault happened at a workplace and had domestic undertones.

She also called the spitting a “degrading” act.

Moradi’s lawyer, Rob Shaigec, said the incident was “out of character” for the man and his client is “very ashamed” of his behaviour.

Shaigec told court that Moradi, based on his culture and upbringing, had been offended by his wife’s coworker approaching her in public and speaking to her without first introducing himself to Moradi.