A Hove estate agent who imposed a “reign of terror” on an employee he was in an on-off relationship with has been jailed for two years.
Matthew Pahlavan screamed expletive-laden threats at the woman, tracked her via her phone, and even rammed her car with his own over a period of several months.
Today, Lewes Crown Court was played a recording of a call in which he repeatedly screamed “c***” at the woman and threatened to burn her house down after she calmly tried to end the relationship.
The court also heard the “misogynist” estate agent, the sole owner of Truemans in Hove, had little remorse for his actions, and Judge Martin Huseyin said he therefore remained a danger to women.
As he was sent down, he passed some belongings to his lawyer to give to his girlfriend of 20 years, who sat in the public gallery alongside his business partner Oliver Dobrzynski, who became a director of the company in November.
Prosecuting, Archie Mackay told the court the offences dated from February to September 2022. Pahlavan met the woman when she began cleaning properties for Truemans.
Defending, Nadia Semlali said: “He’s just ranting and raving. He does regret his conduct and that’s something he would like to address and he’s willing to work with probation.
“He’s even willing to abide by this restraining order. He does have a 20-year relationship which he hasn’t lost as a result of this.
“The business is still running. His business partner is in court today. The business partner has only just joined, he’s not well established in the business.”
Judge Huseyin said: “This is really quite a serious case.
“There are multiple methods by which you imposed a reign of terror or domination on this lady and it’s demonstrated by the fact you harassed her time and time again but she felt obligated to go back into the relationship despite repeated attempts to extract herself.
“You repeatedly called her on the phone. There’s tracking of her – insisting that she allows you to track her.
“There’s threatening quite serious violence, to smash or cut her face with a mirror, to burn her house down and this is on multiple occasions.
“Threatening to kill her – we hear that in the recording that was played today.
“Driving your car at her, assaulting her – this is not just a threat but a real fear that actual violence will be done.
“She knew that you would or potentially could carry out those threats and had to take them seriously.
“The victim impact statement can be summarised as a sad story of her being completed dominated and left a shadow of her former self.
“Prison is considerably more harsh than it used to be because it’s so overcrowded.
“But in the pre sentence report, there’s an absence of insight or preparedness to understand the seriousness of what you have done.
“It seems to me you remain a danger if you were in contact with this woman or indeed any other woman with whom you have a relationship.
“Your deeply misogynistic attitude towards this lady with whom you were in a relationship. Your messages are run through with accusations of a sexual nature – of promiscuity and sexual terminology.
“It betrays an attitude which is deeply worrying about how you may treat other women.”
Pahlavan, 41, had pleaded guilty at the same court in October to assault by beating, putting a person in fear of violence by harassment and sending communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
Today, Judge Huseyin sentenced him to two years for the harassment, with another month to run concurrently for the assault charge.
He also passed a seven-year restraining order banning Pahlavan from contacting the woman or going to her address in Burgess Hill.
