Daily Mail

RapistUber driver lay in wait for drunken victims at city bars

- Daily Mail Reporter

‘Vulnerable through alcohol’

AN UBER driver lay in wait outside bars looking for drunken women to rape in his cab.

Jahir Hussain, 37, picked up women in Shoreditch, East London, before attacking them as they slept.

His first victim woke in the back seat on October 12 last year to find the father of four fondling her breasts and undoing his belt.

The woman lay frozen in fear as he raped her, Snaresbroo­k Crown Court heard. Her jeans and belt had been cut.

His next two attacks came in quick succession in the early hours of December 2.

Hussain took advantage of Uber’s informal booking system to intercept his second victim by pretending to be the mini cab she had ordered.

The woman had been out celebratin­g her staff Christmas party at the Book Club bar in Shoreditch. She called for an Uber cab at 2am, and Hussain, who was parked outside, told her he was the driver when she approached him.

He drove her to a parking bay and cut her clothing with scissors while she slept. She woke up to find him kissing her and fought him off.

The woman got out of the car and Hussain sped off when she said she would call police.

She then realised she had left her phone in the car and called it with her work handset, asking Hussain to return. When he did, she memorised his number plate. Hours later, Hussain attacked a third passenger by touching her legs and lifting up her dress as she slept.

When she got home she noticed her tights and knickers had been partly cut off her body.

Katherine Farelly, prosecutin­g, said: ‘In October and December last year this defendant was working as a taxi driver. He was registered as a driver with Uber... although it doesn’t appear he was working through them.

‘The defendant used his work to target women who were com- pletely vulnerable through excess alcohol to satisfy his malign intentions. They got into his taxi quite reasonably to drive them to their home address. He took advantage while they were passed out in the back of his cab. He seriously sexually assaulted each of them.’

Hussain sat in the dock with his head bowed as Judge Nicholas Huskinson told him he had considered imposing a life sentence. He said: ‘You possess a high risk of harm to adult women, particular­ly those who are intoxicate­d. You, Mr Hussain, appear to target them while they are alone and vulnerable. And you used some sort of bladed instrument to cut their clothing when they were asleep.’

Judge Huskinson jailed Hussain for 12 years and said he would have to serve at least twothirds of the term. Hussain, of Poplar, East London, admitted two counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape, one of assault by penetratio­n and one of battery with intent to commit a sexual offence.

A police spokesman said: ‘Hussain is a predator who exploited his employment as a mini- cab driver to seriously sexually assault vulnerable females.

‘We are grateful to all three women for having the courage to report these matters to police.’

Acting Detective Inspector Steve Birchall, the supervisin­g officer in the case, added: ‘Travelling home by mini-cab should be a safe method of transporta­tion and Hussain is in no way reflective of the numerous taxi drivers who offer this service every night in London.’

An Uber spokesman said: ‘We were appalled to hear about these horrific crimes and our thoughts are with the victims. While these attacks did not take place on a trip booked through our app, we were still able to support the police in bringing this man to justice.’

 ??  ?? Jailed 12 years: Jahir Hussain
Jailed 12 years: Jahir Hussain

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