Description
A twisted Birmingham Uber driver sexually assaulted a teenage student after 'trapping' her in his car during a nine-minute terror journey. The 19-year-old victim was on her way to work when she was molested by the father-of-three, who had persuaded her to sit in the front seat.
Deeq Mursal, 38, had picked up the young woman at 5.40am on December 9 2018 to take her to her early shift at a hotel. She had wanted to get in the back of his taxi but the defendant instructed her to get in the front, in breach of his training.
She thought nothing of it at the time and agreed, Birmingham Crown Court was told. But over the next nine minutes she was sexually assaulted by the perverted Uber driver, before he eventually dropped her near her work - out of sight of CCTV.
Mursal, of Cromwell Street, Nechells, has now been jailed for two years after after previously being found guilty of sexual assault. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
In passing sentence, Judge Paul Farrer QC said he believed the attack was planned from the moment he picked the victim up. "I have no doubt that even at this early stage you had decided you were going to assault her," he said.
"You pulled away and almost immediately placed your hand on her inner leg and ran it up her inner thigh-to her groin, despite her repeated protests."
The judge said Mursal continued to sexually assault her during the nine minute journey and that he had taken a "circuitous" route to the destination. He had also deliberately driven in the wrong direction.
The court was told the defendant at one point asked the victim to go to a hotel with him. He had also grabbed her hand and tried to get her to touch him, but she managed to pull away.
The judge continued: "As this was taking place it was dark and there were no other people and cars about and as the victim told the jury, no one knew where she was. In those circumstances she was understandably terrified.
"None the less she stood up to you and you eventually dropped her off but you did so a short distance away from the hotel, no doubt to evade being captured on CCTV. This was a sustained attack upon a young vulnerable woman who trusted you to transport her safely to her place of work."
Referring to her victim impact statement he said: "As a result of your behaviour she has changed her behaviour and no longer uses taxis when she is alone. You targeted a loan woman in the early hours of the morning in circumstances in which she was effectively trapped in your taxi."
Simon Hanns, defending, said Mursal was of good character and had previously fled Somalia because of persecution. He still maintained his innocence and so could not get any credit for remorse.
He said he had a wife and three children, including one who was severely disabled. He had also lost his job as an Uber driver.