Author: JAMES FIELDING FOR MAIL ONLINE and AFP
The family of a British woman who was jailed for six months after slapping an Indonesian immigration officer during a row over her visa are ‘deeply ashamed’ of her behaviour.
Auj-e Taqaddas launched a foul-mouthed rant and attacked the official after being hit with a $4,000 (£3,100) fine at a Bali airport last year, in a clip which went viral online.
The 43-year-old medical researcher has now been sentenced to six months in prison after she was charged with violent behaviour against a government official.
In a video of her arrest earlier today – after she had failed to appear in court – she struggled against the men who were leading her away and appeared to strike at another officer as she was taken into a car.
Her violent behaviour has caused her elderly father – a respected former doctor and brother, an IT consultant, huge embarrassment, a family friend said today.
Ms Taqaddas used to live in a flat above offices in South Norwood, south London, but moved out ten years ago.
The friend said she had an ‘aggressive streak’ but was very intelligent.
He said: ‘She worked for the Royal Marsden Hospital about eight or nine years ago and was a specialist in Radiography.
‘She actually wore a book about her work at the hospital, the methods in which radiography is used to treat cancer.
‘The hospital were angry that she was doing this and ordered her to cease writing it but she refused and had the book published regardless.
‘It caused a lot of friction so I was told and a short while later she left the Royal Marsden and travelled around the world.
‘I think the falling-out with the hospital meant she struggled to get work in the U.K.
‘She travelled to the Middle East and then on to Australia.
‘She is very bright, very intelligent but like a lot of similar people she sometimes lacks balance and loses some of her rationale.
‘She has an aggressive streak and it can sometimes erupt to the surface.
‘Her father is an eminent former doctor who is now quite frail and her brother has two masters degrees in IT.
‘Her mother sadly passed away from cancer when she was younger. I think that spurred her on to learn more about treating the disease.
‘The family have been in Britain for about 30 years after coming here from Pakistan and they are genuinely lovely people who work incredibly hard.
‘They are deeply ashamed of her behaviour and have been left very embarrassed, particularly as the video is on YouTube and all over social media
‘They’ve had very little contact with her over the last few years.’
A huge row erupted at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport last July when Ms Taqaddas was pulled aside during immigration checks.
The 43-year-old had missed her Jetstar flight to Singapore after Indonesian officials accused her of overstaying her visa by 160 days.
After receiving her boarding pass officers noticed her month-long visa had expired on February 18.
She was told she had to pay a $25 fine for everyday she overstayed her visa, adding up to $4,000.
In a fit of rage the foul-mouthed traveller was caught on camera abusing the guard and striking him in the face.
When she was arrested today and dragged to court she threw another tantrum.
In a video of her arrest earlier today – after she had failed to appear in court – she struggled against the officials who were leading her away and appeared to strike at another officer as she was taken into a car.
She was arrested before the trial in a shopping mall after failing to appear in court several times.
In the video of her latest tantrum she can be heard swearing loudly at an officer, calling him a ‘sick b******’.
As two men try to handcuff her she tries to fight them off, kicking at one of them with her right foot before they finally chain her hands together.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6675313/Family-British-woman-jailed-slap-Bali-immigration-worker-deeply-ashamed-her.html
