Bully with ‘unacceptable attitude’ threatened to kill wife

Huseyin Erdogan also slashed at her with a skewer and pushed her into a cellar while threatening to cut her if she told the police.

The 54-year-old was told that while his ‘traditional’ attitude might be acceptable in his native Turkey, it is not here in England.

He was also told that he would be heading straight to prison, with the gravity of his actions leading a judge to deem only immediate custody was appropriate.

Erdogan was charged with making threats to kill and common assault, and he appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, where he was assisted by a Turkish interpreter.

The hearing began with an application for an adjournment, with the court having previously agreed to delay proceedings to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

This gives alternative recommendations by the probation service to custody, however Erdogan ‘forgot’ his appointment.

His counsel asked for time for him to attend a future appointment, but this was rejected by the court because the defendant ‘did not take his chance’.

Peter Wilson, prosecuting, explained how the first offence occurred in Warrington on April 1, when the victim confronted Erdogan about an alleged affair, to which he called her a ‘stupid whore’.

He also slapped her to the face and ear, causing swelling and bleeding, and slashed at her with a skewer, which she blocked with her hands,

The defendant then pushed her into a cellar of a Turkish grill restaurant, injuring her arms and legs, and as she took her phone out to call her sister, he threatened to cut her with a knife if she called the police.

A second incident happened during the same month following an argument at 1am.

When she threatened to file for a divorce, he said: “You are going to make me a murderer. I will kill you or arrange for someone to kill you.”

During the whole argument, he called her a ‘whore’ and threatened her if she told the police.

Huseyin Erdogan was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

In an impact statement, the victim spoke of how she was subjected to ‘domestic violence and humiliation’ from her husband.

She said that he threatened to take her children away from her and how she does not feel safe, scared that he will kill her or pay someone else to kill her.

Mr Wilson categorised her distress as ‘very serious’, and the court heard how she said she was ‘psychologically finished’.

In defence of his client, who has been living in the UK for 21 years and runs businesses in Warrington and Turkey, Julian Farley referenced his guilty plea and lack of any previous convictions.

He said Erdogan has an ‘old fashioned attitude’ to relationships and proposed a suspended sentence to minimise the impact of him going to prison on his employees.

But this was rejected by judge David Hale who said: “It has been said on your behalf that you have an old fashioned approach to family life – an approach which is totally unacceptable in modern society.

“Irrespective of your ethnic background, you are living in England and you have to obey the laws of England, as does every other citizen.

“You cannot cheat and treat your wife as a chattel who should not object to you having a girlfriend – of course she should, and you treat her as someone who has to put up with everything you say to her.”

He spoke of how the impact on his wife ensures the case ‘clearly’ crosses the custody threshold, describing her as a ‘broken woman’.

“You are an intelligent businessman who has lived here for many years. You must know that your conduct might be acceptable in Turkey, but it is not acceptable in England, but you did it anyway,” the judge concluded.

“Despite the fact that you have no previous convictions and you are a successful businessman, I am not persuaded it is right to suspend the sentence given the gravity of what you have done.”

Erdogan, of Mersey Street in the town centre, was sentenced to 23 months in prison.

He was also made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching or contacting the victim until further order.