A West Yorkshire Police officer, PC Raza Mahmood, has been found guilty of harassing a woman while she was walking with her child in a pram.
PC Raza Mahmood, 33, was convicted of the charge following a trial at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
PC Raza Mahmood, employed in the Calderdale division, was said to have driven slowly along the woman as she traversed a street in Halifax on 26 March 2024.
He is scheduled for sentencing on 7 August.
PC Raza Mahmood, while off-duty, called out to the victim to approach him, according to West Yorkshire Police.
It was reported that he initially drove away but thereafter returned, trailing her in the vehicle on no fewer than four instances, the authorities stated.
UPDATE
PC Raza Mahmood, a police officer from West Yorkshire, has been punished for harassment after he pursued a woman in his vehicle while she was walking along a street with her child.
Raza Mahmood, employed by West Yorkshire Police in the Calderdale region, received a 12-month community order, comprising 80 hours of unpaid labour, and was fined £764 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The court was told Mahmood, of College Terrace in Halifax, was off duty and in his own car when he followed the woman and shouted: “Oi, come over here.”
District Judge James Gould said the 33-year-old’s behaviour had “undermined public confidence in the police service, particularly among members of society who are vulnerable and look to the police for support”.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said the incident in Halifax on the evening of 26 March 2024 had left her “really scared and paranoid”.
“I honestly thought that the man was going to physically hurt me or kidnap me.”
Married father of two Raza Mahmood reportedly yelled at the woman before departing in his vehicle and subsequently returned, trailing her on no fewer than four instances.
The court was informed that the woman contacted her spouse to request a pickup instead of continuing her trek on foot in the dark.
“I find myself always looking over my shoulder when I’m out,” she said in the statement.
“He can’t, and should not, be trusted around girls and shouldn’t be a police officer.”
The woman’s statement went on to say that she felt “let down” by the police over their response.
Raza Mahmood remains employed by the force, although he has been suspended from duty and will face internal misconduct proceedings now the criminal case against him has concluded but that will not be for a while so he has plenty of time to save up for a nice holiday or new car.
His barrister, Sam Roxborough, said Raza Mahmood’s conviction for harassment “will see him lose his career”.
“He’s clearly someone who valued that job, he had worked hard to become a police officer.
“It was a job that he took great pride in and it was one he took a great deal of time in achieving.”
Sentencing, Judge Gould said Raza Mahmood’s continued denial of the offence meant he had shown “no insight into the harm that offending of this type can cause”.
“You have not revealed your motivation for this offending, but it’s entirely clear that your self portrait as a family man is at odds with your harassment of a vulnerable family.”
Imposing a five-year restraining order prohibiting Raza Mahmood from contacting the victim, Judge Gould added: “The consequences of this conviction for you will be profound, but also for your career and for your family.
“But, of course, you have brought that entirely on yourself.”
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