Married man stalked woman he was seeing

A POSSESSIVE man used contacts made with his taxi company to stalk his former partner and make her life a misery.

The victim told a court how she had become a shadow of her former self after being controlled for two years by Usman Zaman.

Zaman, who was married to another woman throughout the relationship, constantly followed her and demanded to know everything about her from her diet to details of her menstrual cycle.

During one frightening episode the 30-year-old used his car to block the victim and her friends from getting away in a taxi.

The brave woman, now 27, told Kirklees Magistrates’ Court: “I have been persistently controlled, followed and monitored.

“I was strong, independent and carefree – now I’m terrified of leaving my own home.”

Zaman, of Whitby Avenue in Fartown, pleaded guilty to stalking her between July 21 and September 23 this year.

Jess Lister, prosecuting, said that during the couple’s two-year relationship the victim was subjected to controlling behaviour and “significant harassment” by Zaman.

She told the court: “He repeatedly questioned her about where she was and who she had been with.

“The defendant would ask what she had been eating and questioned her about her menstrual cycle.

“He would follow her to work and ask why her vehicle was not in the work car park. He went to her friends’ addresses and called her work colleagues.”

Things then took a more sinister turn when on September 21 Zaman asked to go to her address in Scapegoat Hill where she lives with her parents.

She refused to let him inside but in the early hours of the morning he entered the house, walked into her bedroom and got into bed with her.

The next day she went out in Huddersfield with two of her friends and they were in a club when Zaman came over and offered to buy them drinks.

He was told to go away but followed them as they caught a taxi and travelled towards Westgate.

Miss Lister said: “The defendant followed and then pulled in front of the taxi at an angle so that the vehicle couldn’t move forward.

“Then he got out of his car and was shouting: “Get out of the f ***** g taxi.’ She refused and the defendant showed her a picture of her in her underwear and she doesn’t know how he managed to get hold of that.

“He said the taxi would move when he allowed them to move and the three witnesses were very scared.”

When the victim said she was calling police Zaman got back into his car and drove away after initially following them up to Salendine Nook.

The women returned to her home to make sure she was safe but he later appeared outside until her brother arrived and told him to leave.

The victim discovered that Zaman had been married throughout their relationship and had three children with his wife. However when she gave him an ultimatum to leave her his alarming behaviour escalated, Miss Lister said.

District Judge Roger Lowe adjourned sentencing until November 29 and he was released on conditional bail.