Some, er, interesting details here, not least that it happened in the middle of the afternoon, there were two women passengers, and no word of any kind of intoxication.
I have a trial verdict in mind, but better not say anything
Hull taxi driver's sex attack on customer after claiming headless body was in his boot - trial
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hu ... ck-5505018
The 31-year-old allegedly became 'excited'
A Hull taxi driver allegedly claimed he had a body with no head or legs in his boot before sexually assaulting one of his passengers.
Qudratullah Nazari, 31, is currently standing trial at Hull Crown Court for a sexual assault he allegedly committed as he drove two women home from Hull Royal Infirmary.
The alleged victim took the witness stand in court telling the jury that Mr Nazari told her that his last customer was in the boot after chopping his legs and head off because he didn’t pay his fare.
She claimed that Mr Nazari then became “excited” when he thought the two women were lesbians before he reached his arm back to stroke her leg on three occasions.
As he drove along a busy Hull road it is said that Mr Nazari also tried to play a game of "skittles" by speeding up as pedestrians crossed the road.
Mr Nazari, of North Tower Block in Melville Street, west Hull, denies the charge of sexual assault.
The court heard he picked up the two women from the hospital on the afternoon of September 27 last year.
At the start of the journey in Anlaby Road it is said that the 31-year-old put the brakes on suddenly and the two women heard a loud thud coming from the boot.
“When you heard that noise was there a conversation with the driver?” prosecuting barrister Charlotte Baines asked.
The victim replied: “I asked the driver what was in the boot because I heard something move and I didn’t know if it was secure.
“He then said it was his last customer. He didn’t pay so he said he chopped his head and legs off and put him in the boot.”
The victim says this worried her but both her and her friend remained in the car and carried on with their journey home.
Julia Baggs, mitigating for Mr Nazari, claimed that the two women made a joke to the driver about a body in the boot.
“When you heard that thudding sound was it you who made a joke saying ‘have you got a body in there’?” Ms Baggs asked the victim.
“No,” she replied, and told the court that her friend also did not make that joke.
“I suggest there was nothing said like that about chopping off someone’s head or legs,” continued Ms Baggs. “He replied jokingly to you that it was his last customer who didn’t pay.”
Ms Baggs informed the court that the noise coming from the boot was in fact a large pack of bottles of water, which the two ladies later discovered during the journey.
Ms Baggs said: “It is right that there was no further conversation between you and the taxi driver at all?”
The victim replied: “There was. He mentioned our sexual status.”
She says she was having a private chat with her friend about her future wedding but then Mr Nazari allegedly interrupted the conversation.
"Are you getting married? I have got two lesbians in my car," he allegedly said.
“He looked excited about it,” the woman said. “He was smiling and laughing and we could see he kept looking from me to my friend and back again.
“We just giggled nervously and tried to continue our conversation. We told him we were not a couple.”
After this, as Mr Nazari drove along Alfred Gelder Street, past Hull Crown Court and on towards Drypool Bridge, the victim claims he sexually assaulted her.
“He reached his left arm between the two front seats,” she said. “He put his arm down towards my leg and with his palm he stroked it.
“He started from my ankle and went up towards my knee in just one movement. I was scared and moved my leg away.”
Mr Nazari is said to have tried to touch the woman’s leg for a second time with his fingertips, working his way down from her knee towards her ankle.
As she moved her leg away again it is claimed that she saw Mr Nazari’s right arm reach between the driver’s seat and door towards her legs.
“There was nothing about lesbians or about anybody getting married. That simply didn’t happen,” said Ms Baggs. “Mr Nazari was simply driving the car.”
As the car reached Mount Pleasant, Mr Nazari allegedly said "shall we play a game of skittles" as pedestrians crossed the road.
“I thought he was actually going to do it,” said the alleged victim. “Then he sped up.
“Going past East Park we were in a bus lane. It was a 30 zone and I could see his speed was 44 and there was children outside the park entrance.”
The two women got out of the car just short of their destination claiming they didn’t want Mr Nazari to know where they lived due to his behaviour.
The victim called her husband before contacting Drive Taxis who informed her to get in touch with the licencing authority to let them know what happened.
“Do you recall the operator saying to you to lay it on thick when making a complaint,” asked Ms Baggs. “If he said that then that is exactly what you did because this defendant didn’t touch you at all.
“There was no accelerating towards pedestrians or driving above the limit. In fact, you gave the driver eight pounds rather than the £7.50 fare. You tipped him.”
However, the alleged victim said “it happened” and that she did not want to wait around and count money and didn’t care how much she paid Mr Nazari for the fare.
The trial continues.
