Husband who battered wife insists 'I always respect women' after walking free from court
Pramanik, who wore a handheld oxygen mask in court, was ruled 'not to be well enough' to carry out unpaid work - so instead was handed a suspended sentence.
A former HMRC worker has walked free from court despite smacking his wife across the face with a mobile phone and chasing her down the garden with a stick when she mentioned divorce.
Kaushik Pramanik, 48, from Orpington, wore a handheld oxygen mask and gasped for breath as he heard that his 30 week sentence was suspended for a year at Inner London Crown Court today (November 21).
Yet on leaving court he was mask free, telling MyLondon: "I always respect women."
During the trial the court heard how Pramanik- a consultant at Global Investment Bank Limited and former HMRC worker- enjoyed a ‘relatively good’ relationship with Russian wife Olga after their wedding in 2010.
But the relationship 'deteriorated' in 2016 when they moved to England.
Pramanik, who shares three children and a step-daughter with Olga, did not want his wife to work as a cleaner and as a result began controlling her finances and threatening to get her deported.
Prosecutor Amelia Norman said Pramanik 'humiliated' Olga via a neighbourhood WhatsApp group by calling cleaners prostitutes.
On October 8, 2022 when Olga was brushing her teeth at home, the subject of divorce was raised during conversation.
MyLondon reported that Ms Norman said: "[Mr Pramanik] became angry and began to slap her on the face and hit her with a mobile phone three to four times, causing bruising to her face."
Ms Pramanik’s victim statement said the assault split her lip so badly that it was hard to speak, and she thought she had broken her jaw.
Ms Norman said: "She was fearful he would attack her again. She was shocked, she did not expect him to hurt her. When she did try to defend herself, Mr Pramanik's behaviour became worse and more controlling. She could not sleep and she was worried she would not get away from him. He had so much control over her she did not report it."
Defence barrister Rebecca Thomas argued 'the bulk of the behaviour' had only just crossed the criminal threshold, telling the court: "He is a family man and someone who cares very very much for his family.”
Ms Thomas asked Judge Freya Newberry to consider Pramanik's angina and 'very poor health' as he held a breathing aid and took gasping breaths in the dock.
Judge Newberry said Pramanik’s behaviour revealed a ‘cold streak’.
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
She said: “I'm quite sure at one point you chased her around the garden with a stick because you lost your temper. She waited for your to go to sleep because was scared what might happen until she heard you snoring. She was sleeping downstairs in the conservatory so she could go into the garden in case you attacked her.
"All in all you became more and more desperately opinionated about what she should and should not happen to the family and that crossed into the criminal behaviour for which the jury found you guilty... You did not shrink from saying her relatives from Russia were 'from a dustbin' and other phrases which were more racist than that."
However, she ruled Pramanik would 'not be well enough' to carry out unpaid work due to his health issues.
On leaving court without his breathing aid, Pramanik told MyLondon: "The problem in this country, the law is towards women… I'm a very good character, I'm never, ever convicted, never have any conviction. I'm a very good character. I always respect women."
