A mother of four in Chatham, Kent, has shared her traumatic experience of being arrested and held in a police cell for 13 hours after a neighbor, Salina Begum, allegedly misled police into believing she was the victim of a broom attack. Ruzena Gaborova, 48, stated that the four-year feud with Begum, 47, escalated to the point where she felt constantly under threat.
Begum, who has a prior conviction for harassment, was ultimately spared jail at Maidstone Crown Court. She received a 13-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, for perverting the course of justice. Gaborova claims that during the dispute, Begum engaged in stalking, vandalized her car, and attempted to hire individuals to attack her. Gaborova also alleges that Begum's husband threatened her with a metal pole.
Gaborova described being treated as the perpetrator by the police, recounting two instances of arrest in front of her children. One of these arrests occurred while she was preparing a meal for her disabled son, Patrick, who uses a wheelchair. She recalled his distress and her own panic during the arrest.
The conflict between Gaborova and Begum reportedly began shortly after Begum moved in. Gaborova stated that Begum would frequently peer through her door, pester her family, and that Begum's children would allegedly pour water on her door, throw eggs at windows, and leave refuse outside. Gaborova recounted an incident where she confronted Begum, after which the harassment allegedly intensified, including racial abuse and physical altercations. Begum's husband was also alleged to have threatened Gaborova with a metal pole.
In August 2022, a physical altercation between Gaborova and Begum outside their homes led to police involvement. Begum, presenting herself as the victim, provided police with footage she claimed showed Gaborova assaulting her with a broom. Gaborova was arrested the following day but was released without further action after presenting her own CCTV footage that appeared to show Begum as the aggressor. However, two months later, Begum reportedly submitted the same video again. On May 18, 2023, Begum again contacted the police, claiming another broom assault by Gaborova. Gaborova was arrested six days later and detained overnight.
It later emerged that the video Begum submitted was from the August 2022 incident and that the alleged May 2023 assault had not occurred. Gaborova noted that police initially believed Begum's account but apologized after the deception was uncovered.
During sentencing, Judge Robert Lazarus reportedly criticized Begum for wasting police time with a false complaint and expressed difficulty trusting her testimony. Despite the seriousness of the offense, the judge opted for a suspended sentence, community service, and rehabilitation requirements, citing that immediate custody was not the only appropriate punishment. A spokesperson for Kent Police stated that their investigation identified Begum's deceit, leading to her arrest and charge for perverting the course of justice, and that her admission of guilt and subsequent sentencing reflected the evidence against her. The police statement also clarified that arrests are made when officers have reasonable grounds to suspect a crime and that detention allows for investigation and evidence gathering.