Woman's mobile phone footage helped convict taxi driver of sexual assaulthttps://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/wes ... d-15504221She inadvertently filmed her distress at having her breasts and groin groped by the driverA taxi driver groped a customer after offering her use of his phone charger.
Ali Asim grabbed the victim's breasts and then between her legs twice as he took her home following a night out.
The 32-year-old, who works for Wakefield Cars, denied sexual assault but was found guilty following a trial at Kirklees Magistrates' Court.
The victim's mobile phone footage, in which she appeared visibly distressed following the attack, helped convict the cabbie who will be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutor Jill Seddon told the Huddersfield court that the woman's ordeal began late on February 5.
She had enjoyed a night out in Wakefield before her friend called for a taxi from the Star Inn after last orders.
Prosecutor Jill Seddon said: “The defendant was called to collect the two ladies from the pub and her friend was dropped off first.
“At some point she (the victim) got into the front of the taxi, the reason being the driver offered her the opportunity to charge her mobile phone.
“She says when she did that he reached across the seat and touched her between her legs and on her breasts.
“She's dropped off at home and tells her husband what's happened. A short time later police are involved and the driver was traced through his taxi information.”
Asim denied touching the victim in any way but footage from her mobile phone proved that she was distressed when he dropped her off at her home.
The phone stopped working when she dropped it in the toilet at the pub but sprung back into life when she arrived there following her ordeal.
Mrs Seddon said: “You can clearly hear she's distressed as she arrives home and is heard to cry and say 'dirty b*****d'.
“While that does not show the offence to corroborates the position she was in when being dropped off that evening.”
In evidence the victim said that she drunk about five glasses of wine before being picked up.
She told magistrates her phone stopped working when she accidentally dropped it into the toilet in one of the pubs.
After the taxi driver dropped her friend off she commented to him that she was gutted that it didn't work.
She said: “He said: 'I've got a charger. Why don't you jump in the front and you can plug your phone into my charger?
“At Barnsley Road (in Flockton) he stopped, pulled over and I went to the front and plugged by phone.
“Nothing happened and I said: 'I can't believe it's not working'.
“We set off driving and a little bit further down the road his left hand came over and touched me and I said: 'What do you think you are doing?'
“First he touched my breasts – he grabbed them both - and went down to my private parts.
“He didn't say a word. He just put his hands back on the steering wheel and carried on driving.”
The victim said she firmly told Asim to stop and she was shocked by what happened.
A bit further down the road he groped her again in the same places.
She added: “I was too scared to say anything. He'd pulled off a busy road onto a really quiet road and I just wanted to get home.”
Magistrates heard that she then discovered that she was recording herself when she arrived home and her husband encouraged her to call the police.
She said she didn't tell them initially because she was scared as Asim knew where she lived.
Magistrates found Asim, of Regent Street in Wakefield, guilty following his three hour trial.
They ordered a pre-sentence report and he will be sentenced on January 2.
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