A woman has described her two-year ordeal of domestic abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, comparing it to something from a horror film. Shezad Zaman, 37, from Baldwins Lane, Hall Green, was handed a two-year suspended sentence at Birmingham Crown Court on June 5 after being convicted of assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, and stalking causing alarm or distress.
Victim's harrowing account
The victim, who has not been named, said Zaman controlled every aspect of her life. She was not allowed to have friends, and he demanded she keep her phone location on at all times. She lived in constant fear, unable to focus or put on a brave face.
She said: "I was strangled to the point I accepted I was going to die at the hands of somebody who was supposed to be my protector. He told me on multiple occasions that he was going to take my beauty so nobody else would want to be with me again. If he couldn’t have me, nobody could."
The abuse included physical beatings that left her with a broken nose, a perforated eardrum, and severe bruising. Zaman also trapped her in her car, hid her keys, locked doors, smashed her phone, and even pushed her car into a ditch to prevent her from escaping.
Court outcome and support
Zaman received a ten-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victim, with electronic monitoring. The victim hopes her story will encourage others suffering domestic abuse to come forward.
She said: "What I went through has left lasting scars; emotionally, mentally and physically that I will live with every day for the rest of my life. This abuse should never have happened. I have carried the pain of what he did but now I leave him to carry the truth."
West Midlands Police urges anyone in immediate danger to call 999. Reports can also be made via 101 or the LiveChat service on the force's website.
