Walid Hasaneen slams jury’s guilty verdict of torturing his wife

An engineer who inflicted a sickening assault on a woman and held her against her will, argued with a judge during his sentence, tried to make a bail application instead and said the jury got it wrong. (Warning: distressing).

Domestic violence is rife in Australia.

A man who was remanded in custody after a jury found him guilty of torturing his wife has asked the court to release him on bail instead of sentencing him so that he can do more research into legally representing himself.

Walid Hasaneen punched his former wife in the head until she started to lose consciousness, he closed all the windows to stop the neighbours from hearing and forced her to take her clothes off and poked her with a knife across her body which left red marks, bruising and swelling, Judge Gregory Lynham said.

The Brisbane District Court jury found him guilty of torture, deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault, but acquitted him of one assault occasioning bodily harm charge during the trial last year.

The 55-year-old appeared via video link in Townsville District Court Friday before Judge Lynham and said he would like to make a bail application as he did not have the same resources from behind bars as the prosecution office did to make their submissions.

“I’m asking to be put on bail, to allow me to make sentencing submissions,” he said.

“I have other exceptional circumstances, I’m asking to reside interstate because of my ill disabled parents for the interim.”

When His Honour asked the man why his siblings couldn’t look after his parents, Hasaneen went quiet for a moment then replied to say his siblings had “illnesses” as well.

The man also said he needed to be released as he was not receiving physio care for his neck while in jail.

“I’m not submitting for sentence I’m using these documents for a submission for bail,” Hasaneen said.

Judge Lynham said he wasn’t going to entertain it a bail application and the jury’s verdict must be respected.

“It’s necessary that we continue with the sentence so your sentence can be finalised today,” he said.

Hasaneen interrupted again with his voice raised and asked how it could be progressed.

“The jury’s verdict is respected but it doesn’t mean it isn’t incorrect,” Hasaneen said.

“Explain to me, if you’re in this position which you may well do depending on whether your partner experiences any mental health illnesses, how can you make the submission that is fair and just?”

Judge Lynham repeated that the man had been convicted on December 8 last year and it was now some three months later.

“It’s been over three months since the date of your conviction, I adjourned the sentence when it was first listed for sentence to enable you to prepare over Christmas break for the sentence submissions, because at that stage there was some possibility of you obtaining legal representation,” His Honour said.

Hasaneen despite being given the prosecution’s submissions prior to the sentence claimed he hadn’t read them.

Judge Lynham offered the man a two and a half hour adjournment for him to read the documents and come back with his own sentence submissions.

Upon returning and given the opportunity to make sentencing submissions Hasaneen instead talked about the trial and each time His Honour tried to talk, he spoke over him and again talked about wanting to apply for bail.

“I will have to continue on with the bail application and Your Honour can do what you like,” Hasaneen said.

“I don’t need to hear anything about a bail application today,” His Honour replied.

The man continued to ramble and said he wasn’t guilty despite being found guilty by a jury.

“I’m guilty of caring,” Hasaneen said as he tried to claim the woman inflicted injuries on herself which was not accepted by the jury during the trial.

His Honour told the man he could include his concerns in a Court of Appeal application following the sentence which was ignored by the man.

“I won’t have you making anymore submissions going behind the jury’s verdict,” Judge Lynham said, with Hasaneen continually raising his voice over the top of the judge.

“Don’t make any further submissions that go towards the complainant’s credibility. I’m obliged to accept the jury’s verdict.”

Six hours after the scheduled sentence started Judge Lynham handed down his sentence where he acknowledged the man had shown “no remorse what so ever” for the woman.

He was sentenced to six years jail, he will be eligible for parole after serving half. His Honour declared the 211 days spent in pre-sentence custody as time already served.

Originally published as Walid Hasaneen slams jury’s guilty verdict of torturing his wife