Man threatened to kill his ex-wife during row at cafe

RANT WAS FOLLOWED BY SUSTAINED ‘CAMPAIGN OF ABUSE’ IN BREACH OF COURT ORDER

A MAN screamed death threats at his ex-wife when they met in a Leicester cafe to discuss the family finances.

Taxi driver Jatinder Punia launched into the rant before walking out, leaving his former wife in tears – but he went on to issue further chilling threats in the following weeks, a court heard.

The couple had been married 13 years, but his wife left him due to abuse she suffered at home. A court had granted her a non-molestation order in March 2019 to protect her from him.

But in February this year, he said he wanted to meet her to discuss finances. She agreed, insisting on a public location – so they met in the city cafe.

During their meeting, the 44-yearold produced a document that he wanted her to sign. She refused and he told her that if she ever tried to take money from him he would kill her.

He followed that up with more threats to kill both her and her boyfriend over the next few weeks, Leicester Crown Court heard last.

He said in one late night call: “Bitch, how are you? How many men have you slept with? Six hundred? I will come round. I will bang your door, break your windscreen and kill you.

“You will never marry your boyfriend. I will kill you, then him.”

The court also heard that it was Punia’s second breach of the nonmolestation order and his previous breach had resulted in a conditional discharge as a “warning shot” from the courts.

Judge Mark Watson said he had no alternative but to jail Punia, of Wintersdale Road, Thurncourt, Leicester, who had been convicted of harassment after a trial at Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

The judge said: “This was not a single incident, this was a sustained course of conduct over four or so weeks and during that period you terrified your victim who had been your wife for 13 years before your separation.

“She left on account of abuse suffered within that household. She obtained a non-molestation order.

“You breached that order and were given the opportunity to ensure that never happened again – you ignored that.

“When she wouldn’t sign the paperwork you wanted her to sign in that public cafe you threatened to kill her. You told her to go back to India. She was left upset and crying.

“What followed was a campaign of abuse and threats.

“You were threatening to come to her address. She thought you were perfectly capable of carrying out your threats to kill her.

“She described herself as a prisoner in her own home and she is full of fear and anxiety.

“When I consider this offending in the context of the warning shot you were given, this is an offence so serious the only appropriate punishment can be an immediate period in custody.”

He was jailed for 16 months and as he was taken down, Punia shouted from the dock: “Your Honour, you made the wrong decision.”

Punia was given a restraining order to protect his wife after his release from prison.

Earlier in the hearing, the judge heard mitigation from Punia’s barrister Rahul Kumar, who said Punia lived with his sick and elderly parents, who only speak Punjabi, and his teenage sons, who only speak English.

Mr Kumar said: “He is the glue between the generations. Sending Mr Punia to prison would have not only a detrimental impact on him but also his family.

“Mr Punia is the sole income provider and sole carer.”

The judge said he had no alternative but to jail the defendant, who had previously been convicted of harassment