A man has been branded a bully by a judge for turning his family’s life into a “living hell” – despite his father being hospitalised with Covid 19.

Now Sanjay Virdi has been given a 12-month jail sentence after he admitted assaulting one sister and using controlling and coercive behaviour towards his mother and two other siblings.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how the incidents took place between December and January.

Judge Philip Statman told 33-year-old Virdi: “Your behaviour was utterly unacceptable. You behaved like a bully because of your need for drugs.

“You thought you could lay down the law, expressed in a violent manner, by assaulting members of your family in order for them to give up money to you.

“It must have been hell to have lived in an environment where one member of the family simply did not obey the rules of civilised conduct, while other members of the family were walking on eggshells, as one member expressed it.”

The judge added: “This conduct was played out against the background that your own father was suffering from Covid…now you have been in a Covid-19 environment (on remand in prison) the chickens have come home to roost.”

Virdi, of Rede Court Road, Strood, pleaded guilty to assault and three charges of using controlling and coercive behaviour.

Glenn Harris, prosecuting, said: “A feature of this kind of offending is the defendant asking his mother or father for money. His sister Angela then intervened, asking him ‘Will you leave dad alone?’

“Virdi then put his hands around her neck and squeezed, causing her to fall back and couldn’t breath, leaving her with a red mark on her neck.”

Over the next six weeks, the 33-year-old continued his behaviour striking Angela in the face with a closed fist and as she fled upstairs telling her: “I’ll smack you in the ******* head the next time you call the police on me.”

Mr Harris said Virdi made demands for money from his mother Kamla and threatened his sister Nisha.

“There were also a number of incidents where he had punched, kicked and slapped Angela. He has also punched a cooker and a TV.”

Virdi has convictions of twice assaulting Angela dating back to 2015 when he received a community order and was also told to stay away from her for six months after demands for £400 to buy drugs.

She later told the police: “Living in my family home with Sanjay is an awful and unhappy experience…he is always shouting and is always angry.

“He harasses my parents every day for money, he never leaves them alone. He doesn’t take, he demands and only knows how to shout. He thinks he is untouchable and entitled to everything.”

She revealed how she and her parents had tested positive for Covid and when her father was taken to hospital, Virdi never asked about his condition.

“My home is meant to be a safe place but it isn’t when he’s here, ” she added.

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