Haroon Mirza, 24, has now been spared jail
stokesentinel Administrator
16:35, 15 Dec 2025
Haroon Mirza was handed a suspended jail sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Bully Haroon Mirza subjected his partner to a vile assault as she drove her car. The 24-year-old texted the woman to complain that she had not picked him up from work.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she drove towards him and found him walking home. He got in the car and the argument continued before he launched a nasty attack on her in which he shouted at her, repeatedly struck her face, pulled her hair and punched her thigh and ribs.
He drove her to hospital despite being a banned driver. It was discovered he had been involved in the supply of cannabis for about a four-year period. Now Mirza has been sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Prosecutor Hunter Gray said Mirza was in a relationship with his victim from October 2019 but they separated after a few years but later got back together. However, when they were apart, she had been in a relationship with another man.
On January 14, 2022 Mirza went through her phone and discovered a message from the man she had been seeing during their split. Mr Gray said: “He slapped her causing reddening to her lip. She did not report it to the police as she thought it was an isolated incident. But she did inform her mother. The defendant sent texts in which he appears to apologise.”
On March 18, 2023 the victim went to Mirza’s address to drop off a Playstation. Mr Gray said: “He came out. Words were exchanged. He went in her car, took her phone and threw it to the ground, causing damage. It was valued at £1,300.”
A few months later, on May 30, 2023 he saw a video on her phone taken when they were separated. He threw the phone to the ground before throwing it at the car windscreen. The phone was not repairable. It was worth £100.
On August 7, 2023 Mirza finished his shift. Mr Gray said: “There were texts between him and her. He was complaining she had not collected him from work. She drove to pick him up as he was walking home. She located him and he got in the car. The argument continued. He struck her to her face as she was driving with the back of his right hand. He did this a number of times. He shouted at her and pulled her hair in the process.
“He punched her to her thigh and ribs, verbally abused her, punched her repeatedly to the face. Her eye was swollen. He drove her car to the accident and emergency department. He was a disqualified driver.
“She told her mother about the assault the following morning. The police were contacted and he was arrested on August 9, 2023.”
In a victim statement the woman said they were both happy to begin with. But him checking her mobile was a red flag and him smashing her phone on two occasions left her without a mobile.
She said: “The relationship left me on edge on a daily basis and walking on egg shells. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. It has knocked my confidence. My self-esteem was hit like a tonne of bricks. I feel scared and cry myself to sleep every night. I suffer panic attacks. I do not think I will get over this.”
Mirza’s phone was seized and an analysis showed he was involved in supplying cannabis at street level and he sent flare mesages. Mr Gray said: “The messages show he would supply cannabis to different customers over a substantial period of time.”
Mirza, of Courtway Drive, Sneyd Green, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal damage, common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, driving while disqualified and being concerned in the supply of a class B drug.
Gemma Maxwell, mitigating, said Mirza was 21 at the time of the offending. She said: “He is lightly convicted.” She added that he had served the equivalent of a three-and-a-half month sentence as part of a qualifying curfew.
Recorder Robert Smith made Mirza the subject of a restraining order which prohibits him from contacting his victim and her family for five years. He said: “The relationship began in October 2019. You were together for two years. You separated for a period. She got together with someone else. You got back together in an on-off relationship.
“On January 12, 2022 you went through her mobile phone and discovered messages from who she was seeing while separated from you. You slapped her across the face causing injury to her lip.
“On March 18 and May 30, 2023 you damaged her phones. On August 7, 2023 you got in her car and the argument continued. You treated her in absolutely vile fashion. You struck her to the face with the back of your hand on numerous occasions while she was driving the vehicle. You shouted at her, you verbally abused her, you pulled her hair. The assault continued. You punched her thigh and ribs. You told her to pull over. You continued to assault her verbally and physically. You punched her repeatedly to the face. She felt sick. Her eyes were swollen.
“You had the good sense to drive her to A&E. As you were a disqualified driver, you committed an offence in doing that.
“Your phone was seized. Following an examination of your phone it was clear you had been involved in dealing cannabis at street level for the best part of four years from 2019 to the middle of 2023. The way you treated your victim was that of a vile, cowardly, disgraceful bully.”
Mirza was ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
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