a labour politician who stood against britain 's first elected muslim mayor has won a high court battle over claims that he was a ` wife beater ' .
helal abbas , 55 , lost his bid to become the mayor of tower hamlets in east london days after the claim appeared in an ethnic freesheet .
the race was won by lutfur rahman , a controversial figure who has been accused in a separate high court case of rigging his re-election victory last year .