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| Girl abducted to Oman phoned mother to say 'I miss you', court told Girl abducted to Oman phoned mother to say 'I miss you', court told | |
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| An 11-year-old girl who was abducted by her father four years ago and taken to live with his relatives in the Middle East phoned her mother in England and said: “I really miss Christmas, I miss cold weather and I miss you”, a family court judge was told. | An 11-year-old girl who was abducted by her father four years ago and taken to live with his relatives in the Middle East phoned her mother in England and said: “I really miss Christmas, I miss cold weather and I miss you”, a family court judge was told. |
| Former bank clerk Usama Al-Barwani, who is in his 30s and comes from Portsmouth, had returned to the UK after taking daughter Aishah and son Faris, eight, abroad following the breakdown of his relationship with their mother Lacey Plato. | Former bank clerk Usama Al-Barwani, who is in his 30s and comes from Portsmouth, had returned to the UK after taking daughter Aishah and son Faris, eight, abroad following the breakdown of his relationship with their mother Lacey Plato. |
| He was subsequently convicted of abduction and released last month after serving half of a four-year jail term imposed by a crown court judge. | He was subsequently convicted of abduction and released last month after serving half of a four-year jail term imposed by a crown court judge. |
| Plato, 33, from Portsmouth, has launched separate family court litigation in a bid to get the youngsters – who she believes are in Oman with Al-Barwani’s sister – back to England. | Plato, 33, from Portsmouth, has launched separate family court litigation in a bid to get the youngsters – who she believes are in Oman with Al-Barwani’s sister – back to England. |
| She told a judge at the latest in a series of hearings in the family division of the high court in London how Aishah had called her without warning a few days ago. | She told a judge at the latest in a series of hearings in the family division of the high court in London how Aishah had called her without warning a few days ago. |
| “I said to her ‘Christmas is coming – you should be here for Christmas’,” Plato told Mr Justice Hayden. “She said, ‘I really miss Christmas, I miss cold weather and I miss you’.” | “I said to her ‘Christmas is coming – you should be here for Christmas’,” Plato told Mr Justice Hayden. “She said, ‘I really miss Christmas, I miss cold weather and I miss you’.” |
| Plato said the connection was lost shortly afterwards. | Plato said the connection was lost shortly afterwards. |
| Barrister Jonathan Evans, representing Plato, suggested he might ask for Al-Barwani, who was at the hearing, to be committed to prison for not arranging the return of the children in breach of family court orders. | Barrister Jonathan Evans, representing Plato, suggested he might ask for Al-Barwani, who was at the hearing, to be committed to prison for not arranging the return of the children in breach of family court orders. |
| But Hayden said he wanted to give the children’s parents a chance to talk. He ordered the courtroom to be emptied so Plato and Al-Barwani could speak privately, which they did for more than 30 minutes. | But Hayden said he wanted to give the children’s parents a chance to talk. He ordered the courtroom to be emptied so Plato and Al-Barwani could speak privately, which they did for more than 30 minutes. |
| Al-Barwani indicated afterwards that he would contact relatives in Oman to try to make arrangements for the children’s return. | Al-Barwani indicated afterwards that he would contact relatives in Oman to try to make arrangements for the children’s return. |
| Hayden said the pair’s discussions gave him “real hope” and said he would reconsider the case again in the near future. | Hayden said the pair’s discussions gave him “real hope” and said he would reconsider the case again in the near future. |
| Last year, another judge, overseeing an earlier stage of the litigation, described Al-Barwani as disgraceful. Mr Justice Moor said it was rare that a court was faced with a father who could behave so “wickedly”. | Last year, another judge, overseeing an earlier stage of the litigation, described Al-Barwani as disgraceful. Mr Justice Moor said it was rare that a court was faced with a father who could behave so “wickedly”. |
| Plato told Hayden that Aishah would be 12 on 21 December. | Plato told Hayden that Aishah would be 12 on 21 December. |