BOMBARDED: Sicko who sent 150 vile, pornographic emails to colleague blames ‘cultural differences’

Security worker Zohaib Ahmed (36) was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to leave the country within a month

Zohaib Ahmed called the woman an ‘Irish whore’ in the messages he sent

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May 16 2022 08:50 PM

A man who left a female colleague terrified after bombarding her with more than 150 threatening, pornographic and racist emails says the culture in Ireland is different to his own country’s – and that his victim is a beautiful lady who he respects.

Security worker Zohaib Ahmed (36) was this week given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to leave the country within a month after he pleaded guilty to harassing his colleague and an investigating garda between February 3 and 25, 2020.

He threatened the woman in a succession of vile emails, called her an “Irish whore”, made comments about her mother and then threatened a garda sergeant who investigated the case.

Ahmed was described as having no fixed abode at Dublin Circuit Court, but the Sunday World tracked him down to a house in Harty Place in Portobello this week.

He told us he was planning to leave Ireland for his native Pakistan in the coming days and said he is sorry for what he did.

Asked to explain why he carried out his sick campaign against his victim, he said: “I should be leaving this country.

“Cultures are different. It just happened. Clicks fired and it just happened.

“It just happened, you know, like normal fights on job, but I didn’t have any intentions to do this or anything like this. I was just angry.”

Zohaib Ahmed tells our man Alan Sherry that he is leaving Ireland

The court heard Ahmed and his victim worked at a security company and the harassment began after the complainant sent a routine generic email, reminding staff to clock in and clock out from breaks using a smartphone app.

Ahmed subsequently sent her five vile emails with pornographic and racist content.

He was immediately fired but subsequently sent her 120 emails.

He also phoned her at her office and called her an Irish whore and made comments about her mother.

The court heard that a further 56 emails were sent to the woman with the subject line of one email saying: “Where are you hiding?”

Speaking to the Sunday World about this horrendous abuse, Ahmed bizarrely said: “She was my very good woman lady. I respect her [sic].”

The woman had no relationship with Ahmed other than the fact that they were colleagues.

Asked if he was trying to claim she was his friend, he admitted she was not.

“She was not my friend. She was beautiful lady, you know. I am very sorry to her.”

We tried to ask Ahmed more questions but he said he didn’t have time as he was trying to make arrangements to leave the country.

“Please, I cannot give you anything more, I am busy now buying tickets and everything so I will see you later please.

“I am in a hurry to leave this country. I’m going to buy my ticket and everything and I’m going to leave this country.”

He said he planned to leave over the coming days.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Monday, Judge Martin Nolan warned Ahmed not to contact either of the complainants for 30 years.

“It goes without saying, this was disgraceful behaviour,” said Judge Nolan, ordering Ahmed to be of good behaviour for three years.

The judge said Ahmed had sent very distressing images but that he was not going to impose an immediate custodial sentence because the accused had pleaded guilty and said he was remorseful.

He ordered Ahmed, who is originally from Pakistan but has been living in Ireland for several years, to leave the jurisdiction within one month.

Garda Sergeant David O’Leary was the investigating garda in the case and contacted Ahmed using the email address that he had sent the explicit emails from.

Sgt O’Leary himself then received 52 emails which contained threats and pornographic content.

The court heard that Ahmed left Ireland and returned to Pakistan, where his father was living.

He contacted Sgt O’Leary at a later date and told him he planned to return to Ireland.

When he returned, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment towards the HR employee and Sgt O’Leary.

Mr Luigi Rea, BL, defending, said his client accepted what he did was wrong and had not come to the attention of the gardai since this incident.

Zohaib Ahmed tells our man Alan Sherry that he is leaving Ireland

Garda Guinan said Ahmed has no previous convictions in Ireland or abroad, which Interpol has confirmed.

Mr Rea said his client brought two letters of apology to court for both the HR employee and Sgt O’Leary.

A victim impact statement was read in person by the employee, in which she wrote: “This individual has made my life a living hell”.

“I received 150-plus emails which included threats against both my mother and me and sexual, racist and pornographic content, all for sending a generic email to staff.”

The woman said she no longer feels safe in social situations and will only socialise with a small number of people.

Judge Nolan said it seems “for reasons only known to the defendant, he engaged in vile communications which were intended to frighten… this woman.”

He added: “From hearing the victim impact statement, it is clear it has had a significant effect on this woman.”