Taxi Driver Online

Bristol taxi driver denies rape of drunken 16-year-old



A TAXI driver raped a 16-year- old girl as he took her home from a night out, a jury was told. Liban Abdi, 31, denies the offence and a charge of sexual assault.

Opening a trial at Bristol Crown Court yesterday Virginia Cornwall, prosecuting, said Abdi, of School Close, Eastville, attacked the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as he drove her home from a night out at the city's Syndicate nightclub on October 28 last year.

The hearing was told one of the girl's friends left the taxi at a Premier Inn hotel with a man she had met.

CCTV images, shown in court, showed the alleged victim staggering by the defendant's car with her friend who was trying to look after her.

Mrs Cornwall said: "She was drunk. The factors of her age and circumstance made her vulnerable. He was aware of that fact and he took advantage of that fact.

"She was upset and wanted to go home. That is something she will tell you and, interestingly enough, that is something the defendant will also assert.

"No one is questioning whether there was sexual contact – there was sexual intercourse. The primary issue is whether it was consensual or not."

Mrs Cornwall said after Abdi drove away from the victim's friend, she climbed into the front of the car to get closer to the heating.

It was at this point he started stroking her thighs.

"She climbed into the front and that, it seems to him, was the green light for sexual touching to start," said Mrs Cornwall. "According to him and his account it was invited. She says she didn't want him to and she didn't know how to deal with it."

In a video interview played to the court, the teenager told police she was too scared to make Abdi stop.

"I was too scared of what he would do if I grabbed his hand away," she said. "He could have hit me or killed me. I looked out the window and faced away."

The girl said the cabbie then pulled into an unknown car park.

"He said get into the back and I said I didn't want to, he then said 'get in'," she said. "He got me to lean down across the chairs."

She told the interviewer she was terrified and did not want to try and escape because she thought the driver would be able to catch her.

The teenager was questioned about how much she had had to drink and said that during the course of the night she had consumed about ten drinks in five hours, a mixture of vodka and Cokes and wines.

Mrs Cornwall said Abdi told officers that the teenager was asking him to have sex and demanded he pulled the taxi over for that reason.

The trial continues.


Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Taxi-drive ... z2mOaWhWRr

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Why is it that some taxi drivers can't just do the job. Even if the customer does "come on" to them why can't they just say NO!
In my opinion it does not matter if a customer wants sex, drunk, sober or whatever, the driver should be proffesional and just say NO.

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Grandad,

Can't say much as this is a live case.

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IDFIMH

Some don't though do they?

Maybe the poor girl was under the illusion that the driver was a trustworthy person, I mean how many of us would take advantage of a drunk passenger? I am more worried about payment in pounf notes.

Also it doesnt sound like a bristol hack, most of them have partitions

Why no action against the licencee of the night club that sold drink to an under-age customer? However, that doesn't excuse the cab driver, if he actually IS a licenced driver and not another illegal one.

Taxi driver cleared of rape and sex assault on girl, 16



A TAXI driver has been cleared of raping a 16-year-old girl he was driving home from a night out. Liban Abdi, 31, was also found not guilty of a sexual assault charge yesterday.

On the second day of a trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury was instructed by Judge Michael Roach to return not guilty verdicts after the prosecution announced that the teenager was too distressed to continue giving evidence.

The complainant, now 17, had broken down in tears during cross-examination.

Mr Abdi, of School Close, Eastville, was accused of attacking the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as he drove her home from a night out at the city's Syndicate nightclub on October 28 last year.

"She is distressed and exhausted," Virginia Cornwall, prosecuting, said. "We are not in the position to offer any further evidence in this case."

Miss Cornwall said the girl was vulnerable and was being fully supported by officers and relatives.

Defending Mr Abdi, Charles Row asked the complainant, who gave evidence from behind a screen, why she had not told detectives that she had gone into the reception of a Premier Inn hotel with a "random man" her friend had met earlier in the night, and the taxi driver.

"Had you chosen not to tell officers about that?" asked Mr Row.

The teenager said: "I don't remember being in a hotel. Why would I lie about going into a hotel?"

Mr Row said: "Let me put it to you, that it suggests some greater involvement with these men than you were willing to accept."

The hearing was told that the Premier Inn had no available rooms so the group headed to the Arnos Manor where the two men left the teenagers in the car while they went to the reception.

Mr Row then accused the complainant and her friend of climbing into the front of the taxi and stealing Mr Abdi's takings.

"You stole his money from the taxi didn't you?" he said. The girl replied: "I don't remember doing it."

"Do you not remember," asked Mr Row, "or is it just you are embarrassed by your part in the enterprise when his back was turned?"

The hearing was told the alleged victim and her friend had walked off while the men were in reception but the men found them again.

The teenager claimed that, when they drove back to the hotel's car park the other man pulled her friend out of the cab and Mr Abdi stopped her from getting out of the car by blocking the door.

"I'm suggesting that didn't happen and that you are wrong about that," said Mr Row, adding: "I'm saying you are not telling the truth about it."

"That's what I remember," she replied.

The court was shown a CCTV recording which showed Mr Abdi remaining in his car throughout.

An adjournment was then called after the girl broke down in tears.

Judge Michael Roach told the jury: "These cases are always sensitive and difficult, and bring about a range of emotions both for the participants and for those who are listening.

"The Crown is offering no further evidence: he must be acquitted."


Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Taxi-drive ... z2mVb0OcCJ

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin