Bolton man threatened to kill sister-in-law’s baby

In August last year, Kamran Tabassam visited his mother’s house, where he was evicted two months earlier, and demanded money to feed his heroin addiction.

For a few days, the 36-year-old made “repeated and persistent” threats to his family, causing criminal damage to the doors and windows when showing up at 2am, 8am, 9am - all while a baby was inside.

Speaking about Tabassam, who attended Bolton Crown Court on Monday through a video link from prison, defending barrister Sophie Kenny said: “This is a man that has been blighted by a Class A drug addiction.

“He turns up at his mother’s address, makes repeated calls to her for money. He, in clear mind talking to me, understands that his behaviour is completely abhorrent.

“His drug addiction and homelessness and the chaotic lifestyle is clearly the trigger for his offending behaviour to his family.”

She continued: “It’s been a recipe for disaster, we’ve ended up exactly where one might expect us to be.”

Miss Kenny continued to explain that Tabassam, who pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking, was visiting the house because his universal credit was being sent to his mum’s address as he does not own a bank account.

Tabassam, who the Judge Anthony Cross QC explained was on bail for “similar matters at the time”, is now on a “stable” 30ml prescription of methadone.

Miss Kenny added: “He feels stable where he is, he wants to abstain.

“He wants to return to Peterborough to start afresh, away from his family and the negative influences that he found himself in, in the Bolton area.

“He wants a clean start.”

However, Judge Cross told the court that he should count himself “lucky” that he has not been charged with blackmail after making threats against his sister-in-law for money.

Kamran Tabassam attended his Bolton Crown Court case via a video link from prison (Image: Google Street View)

He explained that it is “not the first time” that he has made threats against his family members – having attended court in 2017 and then just months prior to when the incidents took place.

Judge Cross said: “Since you were asked to leave in June you made a nuisance of yourself.

“All your victims lived at the same address, but that address was your family home.

“You made repeated and persistent calls to your mum, and you made it very clear that you wanted money. She offered you £30, and you said it was not enough.”

He continued: “You made a gross offensive and terrifying threat that you were going to kill the baby. You were caught at the scene with a bottle in your hand.

“The impact the offence has had on your mother and sister-in-law has been detrimental. They are very frightened, and I don’t think it will ever go away.”

Delivering his verdict, Judge Cross said: “You breached community orders, you breached court orders, you blame them for slights against you, sadly it seems that custody hasn’t helped. There’s no remorse, no empathy.

“Your risk of reoffending is high; you have a history of noncompliance with court orders.”

Tabassam, of no fixed abode, was handed a one-year custodial sentence, while the judge added that he will “serve half of that” before being released on licence – when a restraining order from his mum and sister-in-law will be in place until December of this year.

Judge Cross warned: “When you are released you are going to be subject to that restraining order, if you breach those orders that’s a criminal offence, you are not allowed to make contact with your mother or sister-in-law and that includes asking someone to speak to them.”