Taxi driver who groped young female passenger has fled to IraqA taxi driver who fled the country after being accused of groping a young female passenger has been found guilty in his absence.
Wahib Tameen is now being hunted by police but is thought to have flown back to his native Iraq shortly after being accused of sexual assault.
He was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court after they heard how his victim had been left shocked and upset by his attempt to put his hand inside her knickers.
Tameem was taking a group of party goers from a village near Honiton to a club in the centre of Exeter when he reached across and put his hand up the victim's skirt.
She told her two friends who were in the back seat as soon as they arrived outside the EX4 club in Fore Street and one of them used her phone to take a picture of the taxi's registration.
The assault was carried out on the night of June 18, 2016 and he is believed to have left the country shortly after he appeared at Exeter Crown Court on July 22 and pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
Police are still investigating at least one completely similar complaint from a female passenger which came to light after the July hearing.
Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, confirmed that a warrant for his arrest is in place and adjourned sentence until the New Year.
After they reached their majority verdict, he told the jury:"This has been an unusual trial. I can now tell you why the defendant is not here. He has disappeared and no-one knows where he is."
Tameem, who worked as a taxi driver in Exeter for 35 years, will be interviewed about the new allegations when and if he is traced and arrested.
Tameem, aged 59, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, denied two offences of sexually assault. He was found guilty of one count and the jury were unable to agree on a second.
He was not represented at the trial because he left the country before he had given signed instructions to his legal team, so they did not know what his defence would have been.
During a two day trial in his absence the jury heard how three friends were in Exeter but wanted to go back to a village near Honiton before returning to the city and agreed a fare of £50 for the round trip.
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