MOHAMMED ADREES BRADFORD SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDAL SHOCKS LOCAL COMMUNITY
In August 2015, a disturbing case unfolded involving Mohammed Adrees, a private hire driver from Bradford, who was convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl with learning difficulties during a routine trip to her college.The incident has left a lasting impact on the victim and has sparked outrage within the local community.
According to court proceedings, the teenage girl, who was under the care of her family and attending a special education college in the Halifax area, was subjected to a heinous act by Adrees while she was being transported to her educational institution.
The girl, who has learning difficulties, relied on a local authority-provided transport service operated by the private hire company where Adrees was employed.
It was revealed that this was the first time Adrees had driven her, as he had not been her regular driver.
The court heard that the girl usually sat in the back seat during her daily commutes.
However, on this particular day in April of the previous year, Adrees manipulated the situation by persuading her to sit in the front passenger seat.
Once there, he engaged her in conversation about personal matters, including her relationship with her boyfriend.
Under the guise of reaching for his cigarette lighter, Adrees inappropriately touched her, putting his hand down the back of her trousers and touching her bottom.
Subsequently, he coerced her into touching him indecently, an act that the court described as both upsetting and disgusting.
Judge Roger Thomas QC, the Recorder of Bradford, delivered a stern sentence, condemning Adrees for the damage inflicted upon the vulnerable girl.
The judge emphasized that the victim, who was in her final year at college and had begun to make strides toward independence with her family's support, had her progress severely undermined by the assault.
The judge stated, “Her independence has been shot and she spends most of her time by herself in her room – a terrible catalogue of the damage you have done to her with this offending.” Mohammed Adrees, aged 42 and residing on Ryan Street in West Bowling, Bradford, was found guilty by a majority verdict at a trial held the previous month.
The court noted that he had no prior convictions and had been employed as a private hire driver for nine years.
Despite his clean record, the court was unanimous in its view that he should not be licensed to operate as a taxi or private hire vehicle again.
Judge Thomas made it clear that he would be staggered if licensing authorities even considered allowing Adrees to drive again, given the severity of his misconduct.
In sentencing, Judge Thomas sentenced Adrees to three years in prison.
He also ordered that Adrees immediately sign the sex offender register and imposed a condition that he must not contact the victim or approach within 100 meters of her residence.
The judge expressed his disapproval of the defendant’s actions, stating, “It is impossible to see how this does not result in an immediate prison sentence.” This case has not only highlighted the dangers faced by vulnerable individuals but also raised questions about the safety protocols within private hire services in Bradford.
The community and authorities alike are calling for stricter oversight to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
