Hearing his plea, Judge Rosa Dean said: “It is almost inevitable a case like this leads to a custodial sentence. If the purpose was to prevent his wife from getting a get, this will be an aggravating feature.”
Without a religious divorce, his wife is unable to get remarried, and any child she bears from a subsequent relationship would be considered illegitimate.
Nigel Leskin, defending Charazi, told the court his client was entitled to seek a civil divorce after it became apparent a get would not be granted. Although Charazi lied in two divorce applications – in November 2007 and February 2008 – he had never accepted responsibility for the child.
Mr Leskin said Charazi had obtained the divorce in order to marry another woman, who he wed in 2009.
Two of Charazi’s five children from that marriage are severely disabled, Mr Leskin added, suggesting an immediate custodial sentence would not be appropriate.
