Man who harassed teenager handed indefinite restraining order

A man who harassed a teenager for over a year and bombarded her with more than 150 calls from unknown numbers has been handed an indefinite restraining order.
Crown Court NewsCrown Court News
Crown Court News

Shuhan Shahid, of Darwin Drive, Cambridge, struck up a friendship with the victim in early 2017.

Shahid, 31, met the girl via mutual friends and began driving her around and buying her food, cigarettes and alcohol in what was described as ‘grooming behaviour’, Cambridge Crown Court heard.

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The girl said Shahid started to get possessive of her. He threatened her male friends, would snatch and look through her phone, turn up at her college and place of work and would also ask her to have sex with him.

Crown Court NewsCrown Court News
Crown Court News

Throughout the ordeal he bombarded her with more than 150 calls from unknown numbers, the court was told.

Once he grabbed her by the hair to prevent her from getting out of his car when it had stopped at traffic lights, and another time struck her to the face, splitting her lip.

She cut down contact with Shahid but when she didn’t reply to him he would call her mum, turn up at the house, leave her flowers or visit her house and beep his car horn.

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The harassment culminated on 14 October last year when Shahid spotted the teenager in Chesterton Road.

Shahid had been drinking and grabbed her arm, demanding she got into the car. He took her to a local village where he snatched her phone.

On the journey back to Cambridge his driving became erratic and Shahid said ‘I don’t care if I die, you’re dying with me’, the court was told.

The girl eventually fled from the car when it stopped at traffic lights but Shahid caught up with her at local shops in Milton Road, before picking her up and throwing her to the ground.

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A member of the public intervened and Shahid fled. The teenager was taken to hospital and made a statement four days later.

Shahid was arrested but the girl later withdrew her complaint.

Then, in December 2017, police were called to Trinity Street where the girl was being dragged around by Shahid. She was taken home by officers but refused again to make a complaint.

Three months later in March 2018, the teenager reported to police that Shahid was harassing her.

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She said Shahid would bombard her with daily phone calls and turn up at her house every morning, forcing her to climb over her garden gate to avoid him.

One morning she was doing her hair when Shahid texted her saying ‘your hair looks nice’, causing her to think he was outside watching her.

When arrested and interviewed, Shahid claimed this was all in girl’s head and he had never wanted a relationship with her.

However, he then admitted charges of stalking involving fear, alarm or distress and three charges of putting a person in fear of violence.

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At Cambridge Crown Court yesterday, Tuesday December 11, Shahid was sentenced to a 21 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete a 25 day rehabilitation activity requirement and take part in a building better relationships programme.

Shahid was also given a restraining order, to run indefinitely, preventing him from contacting the victim or going to her address.

DC Cheryl Harris said: “The length of the restraining order given in this case shows how seriously the courts take stalking and harassment and will help to protect Shahid’s victim in the future.

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“The offences have had a clear impact on her and she was brave in coming forward.

“I hope she is now able to find some closure from the traumatic experience. We will always take reports of this nature very seriously.”