London: Indian-origin taxi driver Temur Shah has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female passenger when she was in an ‘extremely vulnerable condition’ during a ride back to her home here.
Temur Shah, who worked for Uber, was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court in west London on Monday after a week-long trial. The 45-year-old has been bailed ahead of sentencing at the same court, November 12, Scotland Yard said.
“Temur Shah despicably took advantage of his position as a trusted licensed driver and sexually assaulted a passenger in a vulnerable state. His conviction was down to a meticulous investigation which left the jury in no doubt as to his guilt,” said Detective Superintendent Andy Cox, from the Roads and Transport Policing Command.
“If you ever experience unwanted sexual behaviour, report it to the police. You will always be taken seriously and the incident will be fully investigated,” Cox added.
Shah’s guilty verdict followed an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Taxi and Private Hire Policing Team – part of the Roads and Transport Policing Command which is part-funded by Transport for London (TfL) to tackle attacks on the city’s public transport.
Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport Policing and Community Safety said: “This attack on a vulnerable passenger was predatory and disgusting, and we are pleased to see that Shah has been convicted. I would like to thank the young woman for coming forward and reporting this so TfL and the police could investigate and take action against the driver.”
The offence dates back to early hours of January 15 last year when Shah picked up a 27-year-old woman, who was feeling unwell, from an address in central London. During the journey, Shah stopped the vehicle and insisted she should sit next to him in the front.
After driving for a bit longer, the passenger said she was going to vomit. Shah stopped the cab and leaned over her to open the front passenger door. While doing this he sexually touched her and continued to sexually assault her even as she leant out of the vehicle being sick, the Met Police said.
The passenger stayed in his taxi despite the assault as she had no battery left on her phone and could not call for assistance. She also did not have any money but she told Shah not to touch her again.
Afterwards, Shah dropped the passenger off near her home in north London and the matter was reported to the police.
PTI