An abusive ex ripped his former girlfriend’s underwear to pieces then posted a copy of the Karma Sutra through her mother’s letter box, a court heard.

Murtaza Ahmed, 32, had followed his former partner into her flat then, when she fled to her mum’s house, set about ransacking the property.

Oxford Crown Court heard that, when she returned to the Rose Hill flat, she found the ripped remnants of her underwear drawer and pages of from her copy of ancient Indian sex manual the Karma Sutra scattered around the apartment.

Prosecutor Nick Mather said: “This, the prosecution say, was intended to humiliate her and to embarrass her and perhaps also to make it less likely the matter would be reported in full to the police because of the obvious embarrassment this would cause her.”

The book had been posted through the letterbox at the victim’s mother’s home, along with a number of scribbled notes ‘describing in graphic detail what he said she had been doing and with whom’.

Hours earlier on the night of April 29, the victim Ahmed had followed her into her flat, punched her to the face then repeatedly grabbed her when she tried to leave.

Ahmed, who over the preceding week had been turning up uninvited at her property and variously shouting abuse or protesting his continued affections, chased after her when she managed to escape the flat.

She locked herself in her car, while Ahmed kept hitting and kicking it, and managed to drive away to the relative safety of her mother’s home.

Ahmed, of Swinburne Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty on the day of his trial to burglary, causing actual bodily harm, stalking and criminal damage. He had 19 previous convictions for almost 30 offences.

Jailing him for 27 months, Judge Michael Gledhill KC said: “It beggars belief how you could lower yourself to behave in that way to a person that you loved.” A restraining order bans him from contacting his victim for eight years.

Mitigating, Ahmed Muen said his client ‘blames only himself’ and accepted there were ‘no excuses’ for his behaviour. At the time of the offences in April, he was drinking alcohol and using cannabis to excess.

His parents were said to be ‘heartbroken’ by their son’s behaviour. They were not present in court to see their son being sentenced, as they were with Ahmed’s critically unwell grandfather in Pakistan.

In a letter to the judge, the defendant had pledged to change his ways, setting out his plans for the future.

Noting the missive, Judge Gledhill told Ahmed: “I hope you’re telling the truth.”

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward