A Richmond man who incessantly called his ex-girlfriend, put up posters asserting she was missing and created fake social media accounts for her has been given a suspended sentence and three years’ probation for criminal harassment.
Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Gregory Rideout said Khalil Altaf Kassam, 32, “bedevilled” the woman “and caused her a great deal of anguish” between Jan. 16 and July 11, 2022.
Kassam pleaded guilty to criminal harassment. He had also been charged with breach of probation, assault, making harassing communications and two counts of secretly observing or recording nudity in a private place.
Kassam was on probation for criminally harassing another partner at the time of the offences, Crown prosecutor Daniel Shi told the court.
Shi told the judge Kassam had repeatedly contacted the woman’s family and friends.
“She was getting dozens of calls a day,” Shi said.
Police found that, between April 11 and May 5, 2022, Kassam’s phone listed 1,011 calls to the woman.
Communications were coming by email, phone, text and social media platforms. Fake accounts had been set up for email and on Snapchat and Instagram, Shi said.
The court heard pornography sites were listing her as an adult entertainer and that Kassam hired two companies to put up missing posters of the woman around Vancouver.
After the woman’s brother contacted one company, that business told Kassam it would not continue unless he provided a police file number.
The woman also received unsolicited fruit and flower deliveries to her home, something that left her feeling unsafe in her residence, the court heard.
“Her hypervigilance prevented her from being relaxed,” Shi said.
Defence lawyer Bill Smart told Rideout the relationship was toxic with physical and emotional abuse.
Smart said Kassam had taken responsibility for his behaviour with the guilty plea.
The judge gave Kassam 14 days to remove the fake social media accounts.
