Shocking CCTV footage shows 'controlling' husband strangling his estranged wife before running her over

Varinder Singh, 28, was caught on camera strangling the woman into a 'semi-consciousness state' in the car park of a shopping centre in Bradford. In the disturbing clip, the victim is seen struggling with Singh who has his hands on her throat, before she falls on the floor and stiffens. Singh is then seen bundling her into the backseat of his car before making a dash from the Broadway shopping centre.

However in another clip, the woman is seen trying to make a run for it on the car park ramp before Singh turns his motor round and ploughs into her, knocking her down. The sickening attack only comes to an end when fellow shoppers jump out of their car and intervene.

Bradford Crown Court heard Singh was held by police after a group of young men detained him at the scene of the incident.

Jailing Singh for six years, Recorder of Bradford Bryan Cox KC said it was 'pure good fortune' that the woman didn't suffer any serious physical injuries.

He told him: "The reality is that this was serious violence committed in the context of a relationship in which you sought to control and dominate your wife. It is self-evident from what you did and indeed from your victim's statement that these offences will have a lasting and profound effect upon her.

"The CCTV shows you driving your motor car at your victim at some speed. You plainly intended to inflict serious injury. It is a matter of pure good fortune that you did not cause much greater physical injuries."

The victim, who remains anonymous, told the court she'd endured flashbacks of the car "running over me" ever since the incident - where she suffered a knee injury.

And she said Singh had not been deterred by the fact that they were in a public place, telling the court: "This shows he is capable of anything and I'm not safe"

The court heard Singh, of Tipton, was married to the woman at the time of the incident, but they had separated. They had then agreed to meet up to discuss their divorce at the shopping centre in Bradford on August 13.

Prosecutor Ella Embleton said the meeting seemed amicable at first, but the woman became upset after Singh took her mobile phone and refused to give it back.

Singh, who had no previous convictions, answered "no comment" during his police interview, but he subsequently pleaded to charges of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, kidnap and assault in relation to the incident.

Barrister Ayman Khokhar, representing Singh, said his client had difficulty handling the breakdown of the marriage.

He said: "He appreciates it is a matter of good fortune that his emotional meltdown in that car park did not result in more serious consequences for the complainant.

He said Singh wanted to return to his family in India and would now face deportation due to the length of his prison sentence. Mr Khokhar said Singh had described going through "mental torture" at the time and said the meeting had been a recipe for disaster.

He said his client had tried to convince the complainant to give the marriage another go, but he lost his patience and his sense of self-control.

Mr Khokhar added: "He did not know he was capable of behaving in such a way until it was too late."

Recorder Cox sentenced Singh to a total of six years in jail and imposed an indefinite restraining order, which bans him from contacting the complainant. As part of the sentence, Singh was also banned from driving for six years and told to take an extended retest.