Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver cleared of raping a passenger after Crown offers "no further evidence" against him

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern ... m-1793495/

A TAXI driver from north Belfast was yesterday cleared of raping a passenger after it emerged the Crown was offering "no further evidence" against him.

William Harbinson was charged with three offences arising from an incident with a female passenger in September 2017. Following the acquittal, he said: "I'm an innocent man and now I'm going to spend Christmas with my family.

A trial at Belfast Crown Court commenced on Monday, when a prosecuting barrister set out the Crown's case against the 57-year old.

Mr Harbinson, who at the time was a taxi driver, picked up the 17-year old complainant after she was ejected from a Belfast nightclub in the early hours of September 2, 2017. It was the Crown's case that after offering her a beer as he took her home, Mr Harbinson then forced himself on her in the back seat of the taxi.

When Mr Harbinson was subsequently arrested and interviewed about her allegation, he told police they had sex but claimed all sexual activity was consensual.

He made the case that after picking the female up, she told him he was 'cool and dead on' and that after he gave her two beers, she leaned over, gave him a kiss and said she liked older men.

Mr Harbinson, from the Highfield area of Belfast, also made the case that after having consensual sex, he dropped her to her destination where she asked for his number, kissed him then 'walked away.'

As the hearing was due to enter its second day, prosecuting barrister Rick Weir QC told the jury of seven men and five women: "I am indicating on behalf of the Crown we are intend to offer no further evidence."

Judge Stephen Fowler QC then addressed the jury and said that as a result of the Crown's decision not to proceed with the trial, they were to return a verdict of 'not guilty by direction of the judge' on the three charged levelled against Mr Harbinson - namely rape and two counts of sexual assault.

The judge thanked then dismissed the jury. He then asked if there were any outstanding matters against Mr Harbinson, and when he was told there were not, the judge told him "you are free to go."

Speaking outside the court Mr Harbinson said: "I'm an innocent man and now I'm going to spend Christmas with my family.

"I'm overjoyed at what's happened today. I've always said I was innocent.

"This has been hanging over my head for over two years and in that time I've had a stroke and I can hardly walk. I'm blaming all the stress of the last two years for my stroke.

"It's been an awful strain on my family and I want to thank them for standing by me."

yeah right 17 year old girls are attracted to 57 year old men all the time

Doubt his wife will ever trust him again

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

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IDFIMH

When I saw the headline for this, for a moment I thought it was the above case, but it's another one.

But with obvious parallels.


Taxi driver (52) acquitted of sexually assaulting 18-year-old passenger

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern ... r-1827623/

A 52-year-old taxi driver broke down today as he was acquitted of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old passenger.

It took a Belfast Crown Court jury just under four and a half hours, over two days, to clear Robert Francis Wellington by a majority verdict of at least 10 to two.

He was charged with a single count of sexually assaulting the teenager after picking her up outside Club 14 in Tomb Street in the early hours of November 1 2018.

Mr Wellington, from West Circular Road in Belfast, had insisted he did "absolutely nothing wrong" and had ordered her out of his Fonacab after she made advances towards him.

He said he believed the teenager's erratic behaviour was due either to drink, drugs or both and she had confessed to being "off her face".

His trial last week viewed a police interview of the teenager in which she said Mr Wellington had claimed he was sent by her friend to collect her as he couldn't make it.

The woman claimed she was taken past her turn-off and assaulted before being abandoned by the roadside to make her own way home.

However, the court heard that in his police interviews Mr Wellington claimed the teenager was "off her head... rambling and shouting" and when he was about to drop her off, he was told to "keep driving".

He claimed that after she came on to him, he stopped his cab and ordered her out.

A defence lawyer argued that what the woman described "simply did not happen... he didn't put his hand on your leg... 100 per cent definitely... he has done absolutely nothing to touch your leg or anywhere else", and the only sexual contact was when she pulled his hand towards her.

Very hard charge to prove without witnesses, especially to a jury.

The age difference issue can go both ways, would a young girl consent to a very older man, and is it credible that an older man would risk everything.

Clearly the court decided it didn't happen.

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IDFIMH