Boss plagued his ex-wife with 650 phone calls in 12 days for trying to sell their home
‘I have become paranoid’
A COMPANY director terrorised his ex-wife with 650 phone calls in 12 days after she put their former marital home on the market.
Syed Ali, 44, repeatedly telephoned Riffat Riaz late into the night after learning the £300,000 detached property – complete with ornamental fish pond – was being advertised.
In one call the businessman warned her: ‘You have 24 hours to take the “for sale” signs down – or there will be consequences.’
During his torrent of calls, Ali was said to have been abusive to Mrs Riaz, 43, the managing director of a lifestyle consultancy.
He also accused her of letting two of their three children play truant from school.
Ali was initially given a warning after she went to police, but he was later arrested when the nuisance calls persisted. Inquiries revealed he had called her 513 times in one three-day period alone.
Mrs Riaz said in a statement: ‘This pattern of behaviour had a huge impact on me as my ex-husband was constantly contacting me. Whilst on the outside I might look OK, inwardly I feel scared and can’t do anything about it.’
She said she was bringing their children up alone without her ex’s help and had been forced to change her phone number.
‘This has affected me personally. My confidence is now gone and I have become paranoid,’ she added. ‘It has taken a long time for me to move on.’
Ali, who now lives in an apartment in Rochdale, admitted harassment at Manchester Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to ten months jail, suspended for 18 months. He was also prohibited from contacting Mrs Riaz for two years under the terms of a restraining order.
It is not known whether the fourbedroom property is still up for sale. Its location cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.
The court heard the couple, who ran a number of companies together, had been married for 16 years before splitting last year.
The nuisance calls began on February 24 after Ali discovered his exwife had put the former marital home on the market.
Prosecutor Richard Greenhough said she began to receive ‘consistent’ calls from a withheld number.
When she answered one, she ‘recognised the voice as that of her exhusband who became verbally abusive to her’, he added.
Mr Greenhough said police warned Ali not to contact her again but the torrent of calls continued, including 274 between 11pm and midnight and 104 between midnight and 2.15am. Most of the calls were between one and five seconds.
He was arrested, and there had been no further contact since she changed her number, he added.
In a statement to court, Ali said he had suffered ‘ a nervous breakdown’ and ‘left work due to depression’ following their break-up.
He said he had been looking for information about two of his children who hadn’t been attending school. ‘Also, my ex-wife was trying to sell our marital home without my consent or permission,’ he added.
Defence lawyer Naila Akhtar said: ‘His mental health is something he needs to deal with moving forward in his life.’