Taxi Driver Online

Bogus Stirling taxi driver sexually assaulted woman

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r0l41kezlo



A bogus taxi driver has been convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting a woman.

Mahmoud Kalawizada, 32, touched the woman's thigh and demanded she carry out a sex act on him during a journey from Stirling to Clackmannanshire.

A court heard that Kalawizada, who did not hold a taxi licence, parked in a loading bay next to an official taxi rank in Stirling city centre.

He denied the offences, but was found guilty by a jury at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

The trial was told that Kalawizada had parked his unmarked BMW next to the rank at about 01:00 in August 2022.

His victim, who was looking for a cab home after a night out, told a jury she assumed his car was a taxi because of where it was waiting and asked Kalawizada if he was "booked".

He said he wasn't, and she gave him her address

She got into the front passenger seat because the rear doors "appeared to be locked".

But instead of taking her home, Kalawizada drove her to Tillicoultry, making two unscheduled stops on the way, once at a McDonald's and once to demand that she perform a sex act to settle the fare.

After stopping in a dark residential road, the victim said she heard a click and thought it came from the doors being locked.

She told the jury she tried to get out but could not open her door, and Kalawizada stroked her hair and tried to climb over the central console to straddle her, before sexually assaulting her.

She said: "I screamed as loud as I could to try to get someone's attention.

"I think my loud scream scared him because I then managed to get the door open and I got out."

'Substantial risk'

Kalawizada drove off while the victim phoned her boyfriend in tears.

Police subsequently discovered a CCTV sound recording, which was played in court, capturing a "high pitched scream" followed by woman's voice "whimpering" at 01.56, corroborating the victim's account.

Kalawizada, now of North London, was found guilty of sexual assault, abducting the woman by offering taxi services when not licensed as a taxi driver and stopping unnecessarily at various locations that were not her requested destination, and using his car for hire or reward without insurance.

Giving evidence through an interpreter, Kalawizada claimed he had been in Stirling town centre after having dinner with friends, and that the woman had approached him and asked for a lift.

He said he had agreed because he "felt sorry for her" and denied he had touched her or made sexual remarks.

Sheriff Craig Harris remanded him in custody for reports.

He told Kalawizada: "You require to be remanded as there is a substantial risk of you committing further offences if granted bail."

He will be sentenced on 19 November.

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IDFIMH

For what it's worth, the Courier's version is essentially the same article, but with a few extra details and nuances, such as that he was from Syria, and that he gave evidence via an *Arabic* interpreter

But there's a few extra paragraphs at the end about why he was refused bail. Again, for what it's worth.


Fake Stirling taxi driver behind bars after trial for ‘public protection’

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/co ... -remanded/



Mahmoud Kalawizada lurked in a car near a Stirling nightclub and abducted a 22-year-old woman, before sexually assaulting her.

A fake taxi driver lurked in a car near a Stirling nightclub and abducted a 22-year-old woman, before driving her to a darkened spot to sexually assault her.

Mahmoud Kalawizada, 32, from Syria, touched the woman’s thigh, put his hand up her skirt, and demanded oral sex on a “traumatic” journey to Clackmannanshire.

A court heard Kalawizada, who held no taxi licence, had parked his dark blue, unmarked BMW in a loading bay next to an official taxi rank in Stirling town centre, near the city’s Fubar nightclub, at around 1am.

His victim, who was looking for a cab home after a night out, told a jury she assumed his car was a taxi and asked Kalawizada if he was “booked”.

He said he was not and she gave her address, before getting into the front passenger seat because the rear doors “appeared to be locked”.

Instead of taking her home, Kalawizada drove her to Tillicoultry, making two unscheduled stops on the way — once at a McDonald’s and then to demand a sex act to settle the fare.

He eventually turned into a darkened residential road.

His victim, a shop manager, said: “I was terrified because it wasn’t where I lived.”

Sexual assault

Kalawizada stopped the car and she heard a “click” she thought came from the doors being child-locked.

She told the jury she tried to get out but could not open her door and Kalawizada stroked her hair and tried to climb over the central console to straddle her.

He pulled up her skirt and put his hand on her upper thigh.

She said: “I screamed as loud as I could to try to get someone’s attention.

“I think my loud scream scared him because I then managed to get the door open and I got out.”

Kalawizada drove off while the crying victim phoned her boyfriend, who came to collect her.

She said: “I couldn’t comprehend what had happened. It was very traumatic.”

Police were called and checked CCTV cameras where the attack occurred.

A sound recording – played in court – captured a “high pitched scream” followed by woman’s voice “whimpering” at 1.56 am, corroborating the victim’s account.

Denials

Stirling Council confirmed Kalawizada was not a licensed taxi driver.

Kalawizada, now of North London but living in Stirling at the time, had denied sexual assault, abduction and using his car for hire or reward without insurance on August 14 2022.

Giving evidence in Arabic through an interpreter, he claimed he had been in Stirling town centre after having dinner with friends when the woman had approached him and asked for a lift.

He said he had agreed because he “felt sorry for her” but denied touching her or making sexual remarks.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court, at the end of a three-day trial, jurors took less than 90 minutes to find him guilty of all charges.

‘Danger to public’

Sheriff Craig Harris remanded him in custody until sentencing on November 19.

Explaining his decision to revoke bail, he told Kalawizada he had been convicted of “predatory sexual behaviour against a young woman”.

He said: “That conviction involved the deception to her of being a taxi driver… and shows the danger to the public that you present.”

Sheriff Harris said the Appeal Court had stated previously that those who preyed on young women requiring a taxi and then sexually assaulted them “should be in no doubt that the courts will take a very serious view”.

He added: “You require to be remanded as there is a substantial risk of you committing further offences if granted bail.”

Defence advocate John Brannigan said first offender Kalawizada worked part-time as an upholsterer, and though he now lived in London, he still has family in Stirling.

Bogus taxi driver who abducted and sexually assaulted woman jailed

https://news.stv.tv/east-central/bogus- ... -20-months

Mahmoud Kalawizada carried out the 'traumatic' attack on the 22-year-old woman on a journey from Stirling to Clackmannanshire.

A bogus taxi driver who abducted a 22-year-old woman near a nightclub before driving her to a darkened spot where he sexually assaulted her has been jailed for 20 months.

Mahmoud Kalawizada, 32, who is from Syria, touched the woman sexually and demanded oral sex on a “traumatic” journey from Stirling to Clackmannanshire.

Kalawizada, classed by social workers as a risk to women, was told by a sheriff that a custodial sentence was “clearly required”.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that Kalawizada, who held no taxi licence, had parked his unmarked dark blue BMW in a loading bay next to an official taxi rank in Stirling town centre, near the city’s Fubar nightclub, at around 1am.

His victim, who was looking for a cab home after a night out, said she assumed his car was a taxi because of where it was waiting and asked Kalawizada if he was “booked”.

He said he wasn’t, and she gave him her address. She got into the front passenger seat because the rear doors “appeared to be locked”.

But instead of taking her home, Kalawizada drove her to Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, making two unscheduled stops on the way, once at a McDonald’s and once to demand oral sex to settle the fare.

He eventually turned into a quiet, dark residential road.

His victim said: “I was terrified because it wasn’t where I lived.”

Kalawizada stopped the car and she heard a “click” she thought came from the doors being child-locked.

She said she tried to get out but could not open her door, and Kalawizada stroked her hair and tried to climb over the central console to straddle her.

He pulled up her skirt and put his hand on her upper thigh.

She said: “I screamed as loud as I could to try to get someone’s attention.

“I think my loud scream scared him because I then managed to get the door open and I got out.”

Kalawizada drove off while the victim phoned her boyfriend in tears. Her boyfriend came to collect her.

She said: “I couldn’t comprehend what had happened. It was very traumatic.”

Police were called and checked CCTV where the attack occurred.

A sound recording captured a “high-pitched scream” followed by a woman’s voice “whimpering” at 1.56am.

The recording was played in court.

Stirling Council confirmed Kalawizada was not a licensed taxi driver.

Kalawizada, of Stirling, denied sexual assault, abducting the woman by offering taxi services when not licensed as a taxi driver, stopping unnecessarily at various locations that were not her requested destination, and using his car for hire or reward without insurance. The incidents happened on August 14, 2022.

Giving evidence in Arabic through an interpreter, he claimed he had been in Stirling town centre after having dinner with friends, and that the woman had approached him and asked for a lift.

He said he had agreed because he “felt sorry for her” and denied he had touched her or made sexual remarks.

He appeared for sentence on Monday after a jury in October found him guilty.

Referring to Kalawizada’s immigration status, advocate John Brannigan, defending, said he had suffered “a great deal of trauma in his upbringing, given its location” and had been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Mr Branningan said Kalawizada had been able to secure “unskilled or temporary work”.

Imposing the jail term, Sheriff Craig Harris said: “The case is serious, involving a high level of culpability. It involved both deception and breaching the trust the complainer placed in you thinking you were a legitimate taxi driver.

“The offence was terrifying for the complainer.”

Kalawizada showed no emotion as he was led from the courtroom downstairs to the cells, but four women – whom Mr Brannigan said were female family members who had come to court to support the accused – began a continuous wailing, two kneeling, and one clinging to the back of the dock, before being asked to leave by a court officer.

Prosecutor Rachel Wallace, the depute fiscal, said: “Kalawizada posed as a taxi driver, agreed to take the complainer home, asked for payment in the way of sexual favours, and when she refused he began to take what he wanted.”