A Chesham man threatened to blow up his ex-girlfriend’s car and send “mans” to her home to beat her up after he had an argument with her and her new partner.
38-year-old Sajid Mahmood, of Batchelors Way, threatened to destroy the cars of his ex-girlfriend Charli Johnson and her current partner Hamid Aslam.
Ms Johnson’s car had been blown up in the past, Wycombe Magistrates’ Court heard, and although police never charged anyone with the crime, she told the court that she suspected Mahmood was responsible.
At a trial on November 19, Mahmood denied making the threats, but he was found guilty of two counts of making threats to destroy property and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
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During the trial, Ms Johnson told the magistrates that her and Mahmood had been in a relationship more than a decade earlier, and she had not heard from him for many years before he got in touch in November 2020.
After some limited contact in the following weeks, the pair had a disagreement on December 1, leading Mahmood to threaten to blow up Ms Johnson’s car over the phone.
Ms Johnson told the court that her car had been blown up in the past, and she suspected that Mahmood was responsible, even though he had an alibi and was never charged.
Ms Johnson said: “I had a couple of incidents where my car was smashed and another one where my car was blown up. I believe Sajid was responsible.”
When prosecutor Laura Fogden asked Ms Johnson to describe the threats Mahmood made last year, she said: “He was just shouting, he said he was going to get people to come to the house and blow up the cars.
“He was angry and he was shouting, I couldn’t get a word in edgeways.
“I stayed quite calm, I just ended the call.”
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The court heard how Ms Johnson called the police after the call, and Mahmood was arrested a few days later.
Ms Johnson’s partner Mr Aslam, who also spoke to Mahmood over the phone, said the offender made similar threats to him.
Mr Aslam said: “He was off the handle, saying he was going to send mans around the house.
“He threatened to get us beaten up and cars burned. He seemed pretty serious.”
Mr Aslam told the court that he took these threats even more seriously because his car had previously been blown up in 2016. There was no suggestion that Mahmood was responsible in this case.
The court heard that Mahmood had a history of criminal offences, including one incident of destroying or damaging property in 2012, for which he served one month in prison.
When Mahmood took to the stand to tell his side of the story, he denied ever making the threats, insisting that the two complainants were making up the allegations against him due to the “bad blood” between them
He said: “Honestly, there was no threats made from me.”
After some considerations, the magistrates found Mahmood guilty on both counts, saying: “Charli Johnson felt in fear because her car had previously been blown up.
“We find that you did make those threats to damage and destroy the property.
“The evidence of Ms Johnson and Mr Aslam was clear and concise, your evidence was inconsistent to the police statement you prepared on the day you were arrested.”
Mahmood is due to be sentenced on January 6, 2022. He was released on unconditional bail until that date.
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