(Woodland, CA) – July 6, 2017 – District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that on June 30, 2017, Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Rosenberg sentenced 45-year-old West Sacramento man, Dellawar Shah Saidwal, to 10 years and 4 months in state prison for spousal abuse and making criminal threats. His sentence also included enhancements for having a prior domestic violence conviction and for causing Great Bodily Injury, which is a strike offense.
Saidwal and his wife of 17 years have had a long history of domestic violence. In 2011 they were in an argument that began when Saidwal saw his wife wearing finger nail polish. Saidwal hit his wife in the head and ruptured her ear drum. On the way to the hospital he told her not to tell the doctors what happened. Saidwal was convicted of that crime.
Saidwal and his wife are both from Afghanistan and both have family members that still reside in Afghanistan. Saidwal threatened his wife many times including telling her that if she went to the police he would arrange to have her family members in Afghanistan hurt. He has also threatened to take their children and flee to Afghanistan.
The current charges stemmed from two incidents that occurred in 2016. Between August 25, 2016 and September 1, 2016, the couple had an argument about papers that they were submitting to the County Housing Authority. Saidwal wanted his wife to lie on the paperwork and she refused. During that argument Saidwal grabbed her and struck her. She deflected his blows with her arm which resulted in bruising to her arm.
On November 14, 2016, the couple had a similar argument. Saidwal spit on her and threatened to break every bone in her body if she continued talking back to him. He also threatened to slit her throat. He told her that no one could help her, no one would protect her and that no one would believe her. A Homeland Security Agent convinced her that she needed to tell the police everything that had happened. She wrote a full statement and gave it to the West Sacramento Police Department which initiated criminal proceedings.
District Attorney Reisig stated “We will continue to vigorously prosecute those who prey upon the vulnerable in committing domestic violence crimes. Domestic violence and sexual assault are devastating to victims and their entire family and it is only through the strength of victims coming forward that these crimes can be addressed.”
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