Harry Potter star ‘beaten after meeting non-Muslim’

A HARRY Potter star was beaten, called a “slag” and threatened with death after she met a young man who was not a Muslim, a court heard yesterday.

Victim Afshan Azad, 22, played Padma Patil, a classmate of the teenage wizard, in the blockbuster Hollywood films based on the children’s books by JK Rowling.

She was assaulted and branded a “prostitute” after meeting a young Hindu man, a relationship which brought anger from her father, Abul Azad, 53, and brother, Ashraf, 28, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The frightened actress later fled through her bedroom window after threats were made to kill her.

But despite attempts to get her to come to court for the trial of her father and brother, Afshan Azad would not attend voluntarily, the court was told.

Both men were charged with making threats to kill her and her brother was also charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his sister.

Instead of both going on trial yesterday, the prosecution decided to accept a guilty plea of assault by her brother, and both men were formally found not guilty of making threats to kill.

Her father accepted to be bound over to keep the peace for 12 months.

Afshan Azad’s character was a witch who was in the same year as Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry.

She first appeared as her character, the identical twin sister of Parvati Patil, in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

She also starred in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the final film in the saga.

Richard Vardon, prosecuting, told the court: “The incident took place on Saturday 21st of May at the home address of the family on Beresford Road in Longsight, Manchester.

“The prosecution allegation in essence is she was the victim of a wholly unnecessary and unpleasant assault by her brother.

“The reason for the assault, apparently her association with a Hindu young man, that apparently being disapproved of by her family who are Muslim.

“Specifically she spoke not only of assault but also threats to kill, made jointly by her father and brother.”

Her father agreed to be bound over to keep the peace for 12 months in the sum of £500 (€600).

The son, having pleaded guilty to assault, was bailed on condition he lives at the home address, does not contact his sister and does not travel to London. He will be sentenced on January 21.