TAXI DRIVER CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT THANKS TO WOMAN'S MOBILE PHONE FOOTAGE
A taxi driver named Ali Asim, aged 32, who was employed by Wakefield Cars, was convicted of sexual assault following a three-hour trial at Kirklees Magistrates' Court.The victim, who had been out drinking in Wakefield, was groped multiple times by Asim after he offered her his phone charger.
The assault occurred late on February 5 when she entered his taxi after her friend had called for a ride.
Prosecutor Jill Seddon stated that Asim initially touched her breasts and between her legs while she was being dropped off at her home.
Despite denying any touching, footage from her mobile phone, which showed her visibly distressed, was instrumental in securing the conviction.
The victim reported that she was too frightened to speak up at first because Asim knew where she lived.
She testified that after dropping her off, her phone stopped working when she accidentally dropped it into a toilet at the pub, but resumed functioning when she arrived home.
In her police interview, she described that she was under the influence of about five glasses of wine before the incident, and she only called the police afterward with her husband's encouragement.
Asim's sentencing has been deferred, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on January 2 after a pre-sentence report is prepared.
During the court proceedings, the victim described her feelings of fear and shame, and the court noted that her distress was evident in the video footage, where she was heard crying and calling Asim a 'dirty b*****d' upon arriving home.
