Michael Miah, a 49-year-old father from Small Heath, Birmingham, assaulted his ex-wife in a supermarket car park while recording the incident and repeatedly insulting her. On Monday, August 26, 2024, Miah followed his ex-partner from inside the supermarket to the car park, where the confrontation escalated.
According to Alexandra Youster, prosecuting at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on July 13, the victim had finished her shopping and was returning to her car when she noticed Miah filming her. He called her a “slag prostitute” multiple times. As she opened her car door, Miah forcefully slammed it shut and punched her in the face, causing cuts to her nose and below her eye.
The victim, who briefly lost consciousness, described the attack’s impact in a statement. She said the verbal abuse was as damaging as the physical assault and revealed the emotional toll on her and her children, who were distressed by the incident. As a result, she was unable to take her upset child to school for a week.
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Miah, who has a history of violence and harassment with nine convictions across 14 offenses, had previously been convicted of assault by beating in December 2023. The court heard Miah receives approximately £800 a month in benefits and lives in council-provided housing. His defense counsel, Mr. Abdullah Durrani, noted that the couple had separated 17 years ago but shared three children, two of whom are minors. He also said Miah was emotionally distressed and managing serious heart and lung conditions.
Magistrates sentenced Miah to an 18-month community order, fined him £86, and reduced his costs to £200 from £650. Additionally, he received a five-year restraining order prohibiting any form of contact with his ex-wife, including emails, texts, video calls, or social media interactions, except for communication concerning their children.