Abusive cricketer case review
An abusive husband spared jail after telling a court he could lose the offer of a contract with an English county cricket side is to have his case reviewed, it was announced Wednesday.
Mustafa Bashir, 34, was given an 18-month suspended sentence at Manchester Crown Court last month for assaulting then wife Fakhara Karim.
The court was told a prison sentence would see Bashir lose a contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
But shortly after Judge Richard Mansell passed sentence, Leicestershire said they had never had any contact with Bashir, who was said to have hit his wife with a cricket bat.
Now Judge Mansell has ordered Bashir's sentence to be reviewed at Manchester Crown Court on Friday.
After the original case concluded, Judge Mansell was widely criticised for reportedly saying Karim's status as "an intelligent woman" with a university degree made her less vulnerable than other abuse victims.
Later the same day, Leicestershire were adamant they had no knowledge of Bashir, who plays league cricket in Oldham, near Manchester, in northern England.
"The club have never spoken to Mustafa Bashir or an agent, nor offered a contract to the player," said a statement on the county's website.
Leicestershire subsequently told prosecutors that no contract offer had been made to Bashir, with the club's chief executive, Wasim Khan, saying: "Leicestershire CCC are appalled that Bashir could have invented a job offer from the club in order, it would seem, to evade a prison sentence.
"The club are actively involved in the fight against domestic abuse and had already arranged a Bowling Out Domestic Violence cricket match in September in support of the White Ribbon Campaign, set up to tackle domestic violence.
"So Bashir's claim was deeply disturbing for the club and we will continue to do what we can to support the authorities bring about justice."
Sentences under English law can be reviewed under the so-called "slip rule", which gives courts the power to alter a sentence or other judge-made orders within 56 days of the date it was made.
One reason for invoking the "slip rule" is if new relevant information becomes available to the court.
The court was told a prison sentence would see Bashir lose a contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
But shortly after Judge Richard Mansell passed sentence, Leicestershire said they had never had any contact with Bashir, who was said to have hit his wife with a cricket bat.
Now Judge Mansell has ordered Bashir's sentence to be reviewed at Manchester Crown Court on Friday.
After the original case concluded, Judge Mansell was widely criticised for reportedly saying Karim's status as "an intelligent woman" with a university degree made her less vulnerable than other abuse victims.
Later the same day, Leicestershire were adamant they had no knowledge of Bashir, who plays league cricket in Oldham, near Manchester, in northern England.
"The club have never spoken to Mustafa Bashir or an agent, nor offered a contract to the player," said a statement on the county's website.
Leicestershire subsequently told prosecutors that no contract offer had been made to Bashir, with the club's chief executive, Wasim Khan, saying: "Leicestershire CCC are appalled that Bashir could have invented a job offer from the club in order, it would seem, to evade a prison sentence.
"The club are actively involved in the fight against domestic abuse and had already arranged a Bowling Out Domestic Violence cricket match in September in support of the White Ribbon Campaign, set up to tackle domestic violence.
"So Bashir's claim was deeply disturbing for the club and we will continue to do what we can to support the authorities bring about justice."
Sentences under English law can be reviewed under the so-called "slip rule", which gives courts the power to alter a sentence or other judge-made orders within 56 days of the date it was made.
One reason for invoking the "slip rule" is if new relevant information becomes available to the court.
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