Man jailed for murder bid on wife as judge warns of domestic violence 'epidemic'

A man who tried to murder his wife has been jailed for nine years as a judge warned that domestic violence was reaching “epidemic proportions”.

Mohammed Rumen Ahmed repeatedly punched his spouse, threatened to kill her, seized her headscarf and tightened it, restricting her breathing and rendering her unconscious during the assault.

Ahmed, 47, denied attempting to murder the woman on November 11, 2022, at the Rockhouse Hotel in Lossiemouth, Moray, and elsewhere during an earlier trial but was convicted of the offence, which was aggravated by involving abuse of a partner.

During the murder bid, he made repeated threats to kill her, pushed her, grabbed hold of her and restricted her breathing in an assault to the danger of her life.

A judge told Ahmed at the High Court in Edinburgh that evidence led at his trial showed him to be “cruel, cowardly and heartless”.

Judge Michael O’Grady KC said it was not for him to sentence him for that, but that was the context in which the offence was committed.

The judge said: “It is for me to sentence you for the very grave crime of which you have been convicted. The attack upon your wife was brutal and cowardly.”

He said it was clear that the victim thought she was going to die and with good reason.

The judge said: “Domestic violence is the scourge of our society. It seems to have reached epidemic proportions. Anyone in any doubt of that should come to these courts and watch and listen.”

Defence counsel Lynsey Morgan, for Ahmed, told the court: “He pled not guilty at trial and that is the position he maintains now.”

She said that, despite that, Ahmed accepted that he faced a custodial sentence due to the serious nature of the conviction.

The defence counsel said Ahmed was running a restaurant and was previously involved in a variety of roles in the hospitality industry.

She said: “He has been ostracised by many of those around him.”

The judge made a non harassment order prohibiting Ahmed, formerly of Lossiemouth, from contacting or attempting to contact the victim for an indefinite period.