London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Man jailed for not granting Jewish divorce to wife

Man jailed for not granting Jewish divorce to wife

A man who did not grant his wife a Jewish divorce has been jailed after admitting coercive behaviour.

Alan and Caroline Moher, who have three children, separated in 2016 and divorced in the Family Court.

But Moher did not give her a "get" - a document that records a divorce in Judaism - meaning she was unable to remarry, have more children or enter into a relationship with another man.

The 57-year-old admitted coercive control and was jailed for 18 months.

Addressing Moher, Judge Martin Beddoe said: "You sought to manipulate and control her all in the knowledge that it would substantially impact her mental health and in some respects also impact her physical health."

Caroline Moher urged victims of coercive control "not to stay silent"


He was also ordered to pay £11,000 towards the prosecution's costs.

In what was described as a "landmark case" by lawyers, Ms Moher brought a private prosecution for a charge of controlling or coercive behaviour between 2016 and 2021.

Moher, an owner of a property firm from Salford, was due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in London but changed his plea to guilty.

Prosecutor Anthony Metzer QC said Moher prevented his wife from remarrying by withholding the "get".

The court heard he offered his wife £700,000 in the civil divorce with the "get", or £780,000 without it.

Alan Moher has been jailed for 18 months


Mr Metzer QC told the court that, in August 2015, Ms Moher was "so worn down" by "psychological and emotional abuse" that she attempted suicide.

The court heard Ms Moher texted her husband about it, to which he responded: "What colour do you want your gravestone?"

When Moher received a letter from Ms Moher's solicitor about the divorce proceedings, he told his wife to "curl up and die".

The court also heard Moher had a previous public order conviction after threatening Ms Moher following a family court hearing in Manchester.

"He shouted abuse at her and told her she was going to get what was coming to her," Mr Metzer QC said.

In a victim impact statement from Ms Moher that was read to the court, she compared the marriage to being "put into a straitjacket, gagged [where] your hands and feet are tied".

"You are dependent on your captor to set you free. That's how I feel still being married to Alan," she said.


What happens if a "get" is refused?


Ms Moher's case was described as "landmark"


*  Under orthodox Jewish law, the husband must grant his wife a document called a "get" in Hebrew

*  Without this, worshippers believe she remains married even if they are legally divorced

*  The women stuck in these religious marriages are known as Agunot or "chained wives"

*  If the man is seen as being pressured into giving the get, the Jewish Court - called the Beth Din - rules the divorce invalid

After the sentencing, Ms Moher said: "To those who have emotionally coerced and controlled, physically hurt, and dehumanised their spouses - the law will not allow you to get away with your crimes.

"To those victims out there - you are not alone, and justice and humanity are on your side.

"I urge you not to stay silent, but to fight for your freedom."

More than 100 women from the orthodox Charedi Jewish community are believed to be trapped in religious marriages in the UK.

An amendment to the statutory guidance under the Domestic Abuse Act now says that withholding a get can be a form of domestic abuse.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×