Nothing here that hasn't been read dozens of times on here before
Not much about the trade technicalities and method of hiring etc.
But it said he was 'assigned' the fare, so presumably a legitimate pre-booking, and probably private hire as opposed to rank hire or illegal pick up, or whatever
Taxi driver drove passenger to remote location and raped her in horrific attackhttps://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... s-31337369Abdul Amiri has been jailed for an appalling attack on a woman trying to get home after a night outA vulnerable woman trying to get home after a night out was driven to a remote location and raped by a remorseless taxi driver. She had called for a taxi after a night out with friends in Bolton town centre.
Abdul Amiri - a taxi driver of 17 years - took the fare. The woman started worrying after he began driving her home in a different direction than usual.
Amiri drove to an 'isolated' area and began his 'appalling' attack. The victim, who bravely faced Amiri in court and told of her ordeal, said she gets flashbacks when her partner hugs her.
Amiri, 49, of Colindale Close, Bolton, was found guilty of one count of rape after a trial. He was found not guilty of kidnapping and false imprisonment. On Wednesday (April 2), Amiri was jailed for 12-and-a-half years.
Manchester Crown Court heard the victim went on a night out with friends in Bolton town centre last year. The woman, who has a 'number of vulnerabilities' and was said to have been 'intoxicated to an extent', bought food from a takeaway before booking a taxi home.
Amiri was assigned the fare and picked the woman up. She became concerned as he began taking a different route to the one she expected. At one point he stopped the car and asked her to get into the front, which she did.
Judge Sarah Johnston said: "In light of the way the Crown presented its case at trial, and the jury finding you not guilty of kidnapping, I do not sentence you on the basis that she moved from the back to the front as a result of any threat by you."
Amiri continued driving and began to 'touch and rub' her leg. The woman was 'frightened' and asked him to stop.
He then drove her to an 'isolated, remote location', where he raped her. "There was an element of abduction implicit in this offence," the judge told Amiri. "You drove her deliberately to a remote location in order to commit this offence."
After the attack, Amiri drove his victim home. "You told her she didn't have to pay," the judge said, addressing Amiri. "She arrived home to her worried partner - dishevelled and in incredible distress."
The victim read out a statement in court addressing the impact of Amiri’s crime. She said of her partner: "When he goes to hug me I get flashbacks of what happened.
"I won't go out on my own anymore. I also feel very paranoid when I leave my house. I look to see if anybody is following me." She told said she is 'too scared' to answer the door.
The judge added: "This was a vulnerable passenger, vulnerable by virtue of her particular characteristics, but also because she was alone and intoxicated.
"The public place their trust in taxi drivers to convey members of the public, some of whom will be vulnerable by an infinite range of characteristics, to their destination, not only safely, but with dignity and respect.
"For your own sexual needs, you shattered those boundaries and caused significant harm to your victim."
The judge said of the victim, who gave evidence in court: "She has shown immense courage, not only in the aftermath of this appalling ordeal, but throughout the court process."
Defending, Alistair Reid said Amiri still denies his guilt. Mr Reid said Amiri is concerned with how his family will support itself with him in jail.
"You express appropriate concern for them, particularly in relation to family finances," the judge told Amiri. "You, however, show no concern or remorse for the complainant in this case."
Image: GMP/The Bolton News
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