Estranged husband jailed for hijacking car and assaulting wife

A man was jailed for more than six years yesterday after pushing a pensioner out of her car and using the hijacked vehicle to drive across country to launch a terrifying attack on his estranged wife.

A judge told Sher Ali that he posed “a serious risk” not only to his former spouse but was prepared to endanger others to get access to her.

Lord Burns told Ali, 32, at the High Court in Edinburgh: “I understand these events took place at a low point in your life but that provides no mitigation for this series of offences.”

The judge jailed Ali for six years and 10 months and ordered he be supervised for a further two years.

He also imposed a life driving ban on the offender who has six previous convictions for driving while disqualified and without insurance and five for dangerous driving.

Ali got in the front passenger door of 77-year-old Katharine MacKintosh’s Toyota Yaris after she parked in Glasgow’s St Vincent’s Crescent on February 3 this year and told her to get out.

When the shocked pensioner did not react he opened the driver’s door and pushed her out. After falling to the ground the victim got to her feet and screamed for help.

Passersby tried to stop Ali from driving off but failed.

About half an hour later his estranged wife Unisiat Zahra, 30, was working in the Village Store at Windygates, in Fife, when she got a call from Ali.

She was alarmed by the call and reminded him there was a court order stopping him contacting her.

But Ali later turned up at the shop and when she asked him why he was there he said: “I tell you”. He then ran round to her side of the counter, pulling out a knife and began striking her on the head with it.

Ali earlier admitted assaulting the pensioner and robbing her of her car and assaulting his estranged wife to the danger of her life. He also admitted breaching a bail order preventing him contacting Ms Zahra or entering Fife except for court hearings and driving while disqualified and without insurance in Glasgow, Windygates and in between.

He further pleaded guilty to giving police a false name on February 5.