Taxi Leaks (London)
Taxi LibraryAn unlicensed minicab driver has been jailed for more than seven years after being found guilty of raping a female passenger.
Mohamed Hacene-Chaouch of Bellingham Road, Catford attacked the 24 year old after she travelled in his cab in Soho in January.
She had become separated from her friends at around midnight and hailed a minicab in Charing Cross Road.
After withdrawing cash to pay for her journey she drifted in and out of sleep in the car and when the cab arrived at her home address in Hackney she awoke to find herself being sexually assaulted by the 46 year old.
She managed to get out of the car and police were contacted the following day.
Officers used CCTV footage from the petrol station where she stopped to withdraw money to identify Hacene-Chaouch.
He has been banned from working as a driver and will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life.
Detective Constable, Darren de St-Denis, said of the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “I would like to praise the bravery of the victim in coming forward to the police in this distressing case and supporting the investigation.
“I would urge anyone to come forward to the police in such cases and work with us to convict these predatory males posing as mini cab drivers who target women when they are at their most vulnerable.”
source: http://www.lbc.co.uk/