Young trophy wives of rich, often much older, Americans are known to starve themselves and jog for miles to maintain their figures. But a jealous Indian man in Britain laced his wife’s food with steroids in an effort to fatten her up so she would stop long walks and stay home to cook for him and mind their children.
Dalwara Singh mixed the drugs into the meals of his wife of 17 years, but was caught by his teenage daughter, who tipped off her mother, who called police.
The prosecutor told the court: “He wanted to stop her from going out for walks, because he wanted her to be at home to cook for him and look after the children. He said he didn’t consider the side effects and intended to stop.”
Judge Ebraham Mooncey gave Singh a 12 month suspended sentence: “You may have been doing it to make her give up her job, gain weight and stay indoors and make her want you and rely on you. It was a well-planned exercise and you say you gave her the steroids at least four or five times. It’s had a terrible effect on her, causing long-term emotional harm.”
His lawyer acknowledged: ‘It’s a truly bizarre case. He’s deeply embarrassed and appalled, ashamed and bitterly regrets it. He did it so she’d gain weight to get back to the pattern of their life, so she’d cook dinner and look after the children, so she wouldn’t go out for walks to lose weight….. Yes, he was controlling in the relationship and however much you may disapprove it as a way to conduct affairs in modern Britain, it’s something that exists in some parts of some communities. I’m not an apologist for it, but it’s not in itself against the law.”