Oldham man who made his daughters' lives hell spared jail

Salamat Khan and Abbas Khan appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court

A man who made his daughters' and wife's lives a "living hell" has been spared jail after being convicted of coercive control.

The Crown Prosecution Service believes Salamat Khan, 64, is the first father to be convicted of the offence.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard Khan, from Oldham, exerted such extreme control over his daughters they felt like they were living in a prison.

He was given a year's community service and an indefinite restraining order.

His son, Abbas Khan, was found guilty of controlling behaviour as well as assault.

He was ordered to do 100 days' unpaid work in addition to the indefinite restraining order.

Neither men can contact their three victims, while both were also ordered to pay £150 costs.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Edwards said he had taken heed of his victims' request not to deprive the men of their liberty.

But he warned them they faced up to five years in jail if they breached their restraining orders.

'Angered'

The judge said the men failed to appreciate both the toxic and oppressive regime they had created for the women between December 2015 and June 2018, and the "totally unacceptable" alarm and distress that they had caused.

The court heard Salamat Khan's daughters were not allowed to go out at night or meet their friends.

They were also banned from meeting their two sisters who had married men of their choice.

Prosecutor Huw Edwards QC said the coercive behaviour stemmed from two issues.

First Salamat Khan was angered by his daughters' refusal to agree to arranged marriages in Pakistan.

He was also said to be annoyed about his daughters' refusal to transfer properties into his and his son Abbas's name.

The court heard he wanted to sell them and move back to Pakistan with the proceeds.