(Woodland, CA) – May 31, 2017 – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that on May 30, 2017, after a three day jury trial, a Yolo County jury convicted 45-year- old West Sacramento man Dellawar Saidwal of Domestic Violence and Criminal Threats charges. In a separate Court trial the Honorable Judge Rosenberg found that the Saidwal had previously been convicted of Domestic Violence and Inflicting Great Bodily Injury.
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 the victim was seen wearing finger nail polish. During that argument 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 in that incident.
Saidwal and his wife are both from Afghanistan and both have family members that still reside in Afghanistan as well as family members that are intermarried. Saidwal made many threats to his wife including that if she went to the authorities that he would arrange to have her family members in Afghanistan hurt. He has also threatened to take the couple’s minor 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 the same argument they had been having since September. 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.
Saidwal will be back before the Honorable Judge Rosenberg on June 30, 2017 for sentencing. He is facing 16 years and 4 months in state prison.
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