A man has narrowly avoided going to jail after he verbally abused a young woman and told her he “hoped she got raped”.
Imran Ali, 20, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted making the vile threats to a woman he was dating through text and voicemail messages after the couple had fallen out during a night on the town.
It was stated that Ali then returned to the woman’s hotel the following morning to continue his dreadful verbal tirade.
Ali described the frightened young woman as “a slut”, “a slag” and told her he “hoped she’d get raped”.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Ali he “ought to be disgusted” with himself.
Accused sent numerous messages
Fiscal depute Stephanie Cardow told the court that Ali and the woman had been seeing each other for several years when she decided to visit him in the north-east, getting a room at the Aberdeen Altens Hotel.
On the evening of June 21 this year, the pair went out together and visited a number of bars in Aberdeen city centre.
However, an argument broke out between the pair, which resulted in the woman going back to her hotel room.
At 9.30am the following morning, the woman woke to find various voicemails from an unknown number and text messages from Ali.
“The accused made various claims that his mum had died,” Mrs Cardow said, adding that Ali then called the woman “a slag”, “a slut”, a “fat f***” and told her to “kill herself”.
“He also told her he hoped she got raped,” the fiscal depute stated.
There was also a message Ali had sent around 5am that said “open the door I’m outside” – but she hadn’t heard anyone knock during the night.
Repeated rape threat
Ali sent further messages where he told the woman he would “break her face”.
He continued the barrage of abuse by again calling her derogatory names and repeating that he “hoped she got raped”.
When Ali appeared outside the woman’s hotel room, she allowed him in, but he became immediately aggressive when he got inside.
When the woman threatened to call the police, Ali picked up her make-up set and threw it against the wall.
He then left but was apprehended by police officers in the corridor outside the hotel room.
In the dock, Ali pleaded guilty to one charge of sending abusive texts and voicemail that were of an obscene or menacing nature.
He also admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
‘It’s disgusting behaviour’
Defence solicitor Lisa Reilly told the court that “clearly the behaviour displayed by Mr Ali here is disgusting – it is disgusting behaviour.”
“Mr Ali is extremely apologetic and ashamed of his actions and alcohol was involved, but clearly that’s no excuse for the way he behaved,” the solicitor said.
“He understands the seriousness of the court proceedings today and knows that all options are open to the court in terms of sentencing.
“Mr Ali was really struggling with his mental health at the time of these offences.”
Sentencing Ali, Sheriff Mann told him: “Your behaviour was totally out of order, and I think your agent is quite right to describe it as disgusting – you ought to be disgusted with yourself.
“From now on, you will need to watch yourself or it won’t be long before you see yourself behind bars.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Mann made Ali, of Kirkhill Road, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
The sheriff also ordered Ali to take part in a domestic abuse programme and put a non-harassment order in place, meaning Ali cannot approach his former partner for two years.
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