Minicab driver given suspended sentence for sexual assault A mini-cab driver has been given a suspended sentence for sexual assault on a 28-year-old female passenger.
Sothisundaram Soorriyakumaran, 50, of Varley Parade in Barnet was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday, June 14.
Following an investigation by the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, Soorriyakumaran received 15 months imprisonment, which was suspended for two years.
He was also given 100 hours unpaid voluntary work; a 60-day rehabilitation order; was placed on the sex offenders’ programme for 100 days.
Soorriyakumaran was also gene an electronic tag with a curfew between 7am-7pm for 60 days; he has been given a sexual harm prevention order to prevent him from driving or operating as a private hire vehicle driver; and fined £3,500 court costs and to pay £1,000 compensation to the victim.
The RTPC’s Cab Enforcement Unit began their investigation, after Soorriyakumaran sexually touched his 28-year-old passenger late on July 31 2015, after picking her up from a pub in Pimlico.
The passenger asked if she could sit in the front seat and play her own music through the vehicle’s stereo.
Soorriyakumaran agreed and pulled up along the Old Kent Road. She got into the front of the car and began to play her music.
He then leaned over and began to touch her, before removing his hand and driving on, leaving the woman in shock.
Soorriyakumaran stopped the vehicle at Surrey Canal Road, and leaned into the passenger, who shouted at him to stop.
He told her he was sorry and that he must have misunderstood.
He asked the passenger if she was ok and if he could have her number, but the passenger gave a false number.
The woman was dropped on the corner of her road; where she ran home and called police.
The Cab Enforcement ran the investigation and arrested Soorriyakumaran in Barnet last year.
He was charged with sexual assault and appeared before Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, June 9 where he pleaded not guilty.
However, the evidence against him was overwhelming and he was found guilty of the offence.
Detective Superintendent Adnan Qureshi, of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "I urge anyone who experiences any kind of assault or unwanted sexual behaviour to report it to police immediately.
"If you commit an offence on London’s transport network, we will pursue and arrest you. We will get those responsible."
source:
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/1456 ... l_assault/
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