A Brighton Junior doctor has been convicted for perverting the course of justice after sabotaging his best friend's relationships.
Javed Saumtally, 28, of Berners Street, Ipswich, created fake messages, sending them to himself and to his friend, some of them abusive - he even invented a police officer to make it seem more authentic.
Saumtally spent six years at Brighton and Sussex Medical School before qualifying in 2017. He worked as a junior doctor in Brighton before going to work at a hospital in Ipswich.
Saumtally, was convicted on September 6th and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment at Hove Crown Court on Monday October 18th.
According to Sussex Police, Saumtally carried out a sustained campaign of harassment and threatening messages to his best friend, over a period of 18 months, culminating in the summer of 2018:
He allowed his trusting friend to believe that this abuse was the work of the friend's ex partner. Saumtally continued this harassment aware of how severely the ordeal was affecting his friend's well-being, encouraging him to leave Brighton and move to Ipswich to live with him.
Saumtally was aware that his flat-mate's ex-partner, a completely innocent man, had been arrested twice by police and kept in custody on both occasions. This young man, an ex-Ghurkha soldier of impeccable character, almost lost his job as a result, and his training as a military nurse was interrupted for months.
In July 2018, Saumtally's flat-mate, by now in Ipswich, began a new relationship, again with a man of impeccable character. Saumtally then set about sabotaging this relationship. With the use of convincing spoofing technology, and faked emails from non-existent police officers, he persuaded his flat-mate that the young man was cheating on him. He also reported this young man to Suffolk police for harassment.
In September 2018, his flat-mate began another new relationship with yet another young man of impeccable character. Again Saumtally set about sabotaging this relationship, using fake screenshots and anonymous accounts. Saumtally again reported this young man to Suffolk police.
Police Investigator Rose Horan said:
"Javed Saumtally was right at the centre of each incident. He went to enormous lengths to perpetrate an intricate deception. He was devious, manipulative and technologically adept.
"His motive appears to have been an obsessive jealousy of his flat-mate's relationships, and a dogged determination to sabotage each and every one.
"Suspicions arose after Saumtally's evidence to both Suffolk and Sussex Police was scrutinised, and found to be entirely faked. We were able to uncover a duplicitous and ruthless web of lies.
"We will always follow up reports of stalking, also giving victims access to sources of further support and advice."
For futher information on how to report stalking and harassment, and support services available, see the Sussex Police website.
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