Dagenham Man Caught in Stalking and Arson Horror
Anhar Hussain, 23, of Review Road, Dagenham, has pled guilty to a terrifying string of crimes including arson, harassment causing fear of violence, dangerous driving, and driving while disqualified and uninsured. The offences were revealed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 21 November. Hussain remains in custody and faces sentencing on 19 December.
New Tech Unmasks Stalker’s Every Move
Police detectives from the East Area Basic Command Unit used groundbreaking analytical software to map Hussain’s phone signals for the first time in a case like this. This tech, combined with travel and communication data, exposed Hussain’s stalking patterns from April to June 2022. Officers quickly gathered irrefutable evidence of his harassment and coercive behaviour.
Shocking Abuse and Control Uncovered
- Victim, a woman in her 20s, started dating Hussain in 2020.
- Relationship broke down by March 2021 after a torrent of abuse.
- Hussain posted nude photos of the victim online and sent them to her family—cropping himself out to escalate humiliation.
- He created fake social media accounts using her name to contact her estranged family.
- Subjected victim to violent outbursts: shouting, punching walls, throwing objects, pulling and pushing her indoors.
- Kept sole keys to their flat; locked her inside and tracked her movements via video doorbell.
- Set fire to her clothes, grabbed her to force her into his car; she escaped and relocated.
- Harassed her relentlessly with over 700 calls a day, including threats to smash a brick through her mother’s house.
- Attempted manipulation with photos of himself crying and doing chores to lure her back.
Dangerous Driving Rampage and Ongoing Harassment
Even after their break-up, Hussain showed no signs of stopping. During a meeting to return her belongings, he lost control after hearing a male voice on her phone. Furious, he rammed her vehicle multiple times at speed in a public car park, completely writing it off—while disqualified from driving.
PC Cathleeya Kittisara, lead investigator, praised the victim’s courage: “She has shown sheer strength throughout this nightmare. Despite being let down twice by the justice system with Hussain on bail, she never gave up. Her ordeal has been devastating, affecting her family ties, friendships, work, and finances. Yet she has fought to rebuild her life. The use of new technology helped us present evidence clearly, a real game-changer in prosecuting stalking.”
The investigation, dubbed Operation Atlas, uncovered 157 occasions when Hussain stalked the victim closely. The software sifted through mountains of digital harassment evidence, producing easy-to-understand maps and timelines for CPS and future juries, speeding up the case dramatically.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, Head of Public Protection, added: “This cutting-edge software lets officers analyse complex data instantly. It’s revolutionising how we tackle stalking and harassment, cutting down investigation time and improving victim support. Most importantly, it helps deliver justice faster for victims who have already suffered so much.”
