Woman basher Jawad Qayyum faces deportation over false court statements

A Pakistani man faces deportation over pressuring an associate to make false court statements while he was on remand for bashing a woman.

A Pakistani man faces deportation over pressuring an associate to make false court statements while he was on remand for bashing a woman.

A Pakistani man is facing deportation after pressuring an associate into making false statements to a court while he was on remand for bashing a woman.

Jawad Qayyum, 41, was on Friday jailed for two years after admitting he enlisted his US-based brother to coerce another woman known to his victim into submitting a “sympathetic” statement to a court on his behalf as he faced charges including assault.

The County Court heard Qayyum was charged in September 2020 after the woman revealed to authorities that he subjected her to extreme violence including regular beatings and “mental torment”.

He also coerced her into telling doctors she heard voices inside her head and had mental health issues, which was part of a plan to help him obtain a visa to remain in Melbourne.

While on remand, Qayyum devised a “detailed strategy” to influence another woman into making false statements to the court on his behalf.

He enlisted his brother to repeatedly call and message the woman, initially to “soften” her up before convincing her to write a statement describing his sibling as a “good man” who cared deeply for others.

“Ultimately she did not make a statement meaning it was an attempt, rather than an actual perversion of justice,” Judge Frances Hogan said.

Judge Hogan noted Qayyum was also accused of using another brother based in Pakistan to find out where his victim lived and pressure her into withdrawing her statement, but the charges were later withdrawn.

Judge Hogan said character references from Qayyum’s male friends were submitted on his behalf, describing him as a person with strong moral values who took responsibility for his actions.

But she said she gave little weight to them, given there was no evidence to support their claims and because their descriptions were in stark contrast to the brutality he subjected his victim to.

“Nor have I any evidence that you have ‘shown remorse for any wrongdoing and committed to taking responsibility for your actions’ other than your very late plea of guilty,” she said.

She ordered Qayyum, who pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice, serve at least 12 months of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Wearing a grey prison-issued tracksuit, Qayyum kept his head down for much of the sentencing hearing.

Judge Hogan noted he was on a bridging visa at the time of his arrest and would likely be deported to Pakistan after his release.