A Bosnian who testified against a warlord in the H

A Bosnian who testified against a warlord in the Hague has escaped a jail sentence for threatening to slit his son’s throat.

Ferid Mujcic, 47, shouted abuse at wife Semija after embarrassing her on a night out with friends, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

When her son Ferid Jnr tried to calm him down at their home at (72) Birch Green, Hertford, Mujcic screamed:

‘If you come back I will kill you.

You will come back to this house over my dead body.

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Police raced to the scene to arrest drunken Mujcic who claimed he wanted to kill himself.

But during the journey to the police station he continued made chilling threats against his 21-year-old son, telling officers: ‘My son? I’m going to slit his throat.

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Mujcic was due to hear his fate last month but no pre-sentence report was available.

A letter to Mujcic arranging an appointment with probation staff got lost in the post, the court heard.

Postmen have been confused by the layout of the newly built housing estate in Enfield where Mujcic is living, it emerged.

But Mujcic eventually learnt that he would not be going to jail after all.

Judge Patricia Knowles told him: ‘In the light of the pre-sentence reports a custodial sentence is not appropriate.

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The judge said she thought his problems had been caused by drink and imposed a two year community rehabilitation order.

Stuart Trimmer, prosecuting, said prior to the incident Mujcic and his wife had been out with friends on May 27 this year.

Mujcic returned home after his wife, but then became abusive.

Terrified Mrs Mujcic ended up running barefoot from the house in Birch Green, Hertford after her husband told her to get out.

She was later found by police in a local park in a highly distressed state, the court heard.

Ferid Jnr was later called by one of their other children to try and calm the situation down, but events soon spiralled out of control.

The son was forced to stand in the garden as his dad hurled insults at him and told him to leave home for good.

During the row Mujcic told his son: ‘Get out or I will kill you.

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The prosecution had alleged that Mujcic was seen holding an axe and a knife on two separate occasions during the incident.

But he strongly denied the accusation.

And following legal argument the case went ahead on the basis that basis that Mujcic had not carried any blade.

After his arrest Mujcic admitted in interview that he had been drinking and had used threatening behaviour.

Mujcic had pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

He had been given two years probation in June 1999 for assault causing actual bodily harm for punching his wife after a booze session.

Mujcic, of Hoe Lane, Enfield, is due to give further evidence at the Hague War Crimes Tribunal, having testified in the past against Serb terrorist Dule Tadic.

At an earlier defence counsel David Josse said Mujcic suffered from a ‘genuinely tragic background’ and was ‘clearly in a depressed state.

Mr Josse told the court: ‘The defendant spent some 17 days on the stand in the Hague trial of a man
called Tadic who in the end got 28 years in jail and who this defendant alleged personally tortured him.

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Mujcic suffered permanent back injuries as a result of his mistreatment, Mr Josse added.

But it was also alleged that Mujcic, who lived at Palm Tree Avenue, Coventry, before moving to Enfield, subjected his son and wife to further threats during a series of phone calls.

‘There is a great deal of bad blood between the defendant and his son.

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But Mujcic claimed son Ferid Jnr had recently made obscene calls to him.

‘He said his son telephoned him on a number of occasions and described a rather obscene act.

He passed wind down the phone, the son apparently.

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The court was told that police wanted to talk to Mr Mujcic about the further allegations.

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