SLEAZY CABBIE

TAXI DRIVER ASSAULTS PASSENGER

TAXI driver Paulson Mulakkayath John, 50, ( pictured) sexually assaulted a sleeping woman in the back of his cab, before she woke up and fled the car. Vision shot from cameras inside the taxi was played in Townsville District Court yesterday.

A TAXI driver sexually assaulted a sleeping woman in the back of his cab, before she woke up and fled the car.

Vision shot from cameras inside the taxi and played in Townsville District Court yesterday, show Paulson Mulakkayath John, 50, start to grope the woman, 28, after he had dropped off her male companion about 3am on an unspecified date in 2018.

The court heard the victim was engaged in “sexual acts” with her male companion in the back seat, before he was dropped off at home. The driver and the woman continued to her address. As the woman, 28, sat in the back seat on the passenger side, she fell asleep.

Mulakkayath John is seen on the CCTV footage captured by the taxi’s camera massaging the woman’s foot that was resting on the centre console.

The woman then takes her foot off the centre console, before Mulakkayath John is seen reaching behind his seat with one arm, while continuing to steer with the other.

The footage played by Crown prosecutor Amanda Payne showed Mulakkayath John stop the cab before getting in the back seat with the slumped-over sleeping woman.

He is seen to kiss her neck and stroke her hair for about one minute before the woman woke up and escaped the cab.

The court heard the woman called her sister on the side of the road, who came to pick her up.

Mulakkayath John’s taxi licence was immediately suspended when police were made aware of the sexual assault, the court heard.

Ms Payne said taxis were meant to “provide refuge for women especially at night”.

“He targeted this vulnerable woman who was displaying significant signs of intoxication,” she said.

“In fact, the footage shows her asleep or passed out.”

She presented to Judge Vicki Loury a victim impact statement by the woman. Judge Loury said the letter was “somewhat over the top” and did not accept “the reference of her innocence being stolen” as a 28-year-old woman.

Mulakkayath John pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault.

Defence barrister Michael Hibble presented to Judge Loury a letter of apology from Mulakkayath John to his victim and said his client had made a “tremendous mistake”.

“He has no excuse for his behaviour; it was weakness,” he said.

Mr Hibble said Mulakkayath John had only told his wife of the incident last week who shielded her eyes when the CCTV footage was played.

Judge Loury told Mulakkayath John his conduct was a “serious offence”. He was sentenced to six months’ jail suspended forthwith with an operational period of two years.