Man with phobia says his father-in-law is menacing him

A middle-aged man with a self-proclaimed Tasmanian Devil phobia has accused his father-in-law of menacing him with a wig that resembles the mane of the cartoon character.

Mazen Dayem, 36, had his in-law, Yunes Doleh, 62, arrested last month in Staten Island after a funeral where Doleh violated a restraining order by coming at him with the toupee in hand, police said.

It seems the father-in-law and son have been disputing since 2013 when they got into an argument that turned physical – leaving Dayem with a fractured skull, the lawsuit obtained by everything-pr.com said.

The perturbed Dayhem explained the November altercation into further detail while speaking with the New York Post.

Mazen Dayem, 36, (left) had his in-law, Yunes Doleh, 62, (right) arrested last month in Staten Island after a funeral where Doleh

Dayem has  said he has had a fear of the Tasmanian Devil for as long as he can remember

‘He walked in as I was already there,’ he said. ‘He removed his wig, made hand gestures. 

‘It’s just a very large fear of mine, his damn wig … him and his hair reminds me of the Tasmanian Devil hair. 

‘I truly and genuinely have a large fear of wigs now, (and) it’s a genuine fear. I have nightmares.’

Dayem said Doleh’s taunting about his fear has only made matters worse for their relationship.

Doleh (shown right) has been accused of the repeated harassment following the assault

‘It always made me very anxious,’ Dayem said.

Since 2013, Doleh has been accused of repeatedly harassing Dayem.

The father-in-law has been charged with criminal mischief.

‘I believe at the end of the day, the criminal cases will be dismissed and my client [will be shown to have done] nothing wrong,’ Doleh’s attorney, Matthew Santamauro, said, according to the Post.

Dayem, a supermarket mogul, said he has been living with the fear since he was a boy.