Bogus taxi driver sexually assaulted woman

Mahmoud Kalawizada will be sentenced next month

A bogus taxi driver has been convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting a woman.

Mahmoud Kalawizada, 32, touched the woman's thigh and demanded she carry out a sex act on him during a journey from Stirling to Clackmannanshire.

A court heard that Kalawizada, who did not hold a taxi licence, parked in a loading bay next to an official taxi rank in Stirling city centre.

He denied the offences, but was found guilty by a jury at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

The trial was told that Kalawizada had parked his unmarked BMW next to the rank at about 01:00 in August 2022.

His victim, who was looking for a cab home after a night out, told a jury she assumed his car was a taxi because of where it was waiting and asked Kalawizada if he was "booked".

He said he wasn't, and she gave him her address

She got into the front passenger seat because the rear doors "appeared to be locked".

But instead of taking her home, Kalawizada drove her to Tillicoultry, making two unscheduled stops on the way, once at a McDonald's and once to demand that she perform a sex act to settle the fare.

After stopping in a dark residential road, the victim said she heard a click and thought it came from the doors being locked.

She told the jury she tried to get out but could not open her door, and Kalawizada stroked her hair and tried to climb over the central console to straddle her, before sexually assaulting her.

She said: "I screamed as loud as I could to try to get someone's attention.

"I think my loud scream scared him because I then managed to get the door open and I got out."

'Substantial risk'

Kalawizada drove off while the victim phoned her boyfriend in tears.

Police subsequently discovered a CCTV sound recording, which was played in court, capturing a "high pitched scream" followed by woman's voice "whimpering" at 01.56, corroborating the victim's account.

Kalawizada, now of North London, was found guilty of sexual assault, abducting the woman by offering taxi services when not licensed as a taxi driver and stopping unnecessarily at various locations that were not her requested destination, and using his car for hire or reward without insurance.

Giving evidence through an interpreter, Kalawizada claimed he had been in Stirling town centre after having dinner with friends, and that the woman had approached him and asked for a lift.

He said he had agreed because he "felt sorry for her" and denied he had touched her or made sexual remarks.

Sheriff Craig Harris remanded him in custody for reports.

He told Kalawizada: "You require to be remanded as there is a substantial risk of you committing further offences if granted bail."

He will be sentenced on 19 November.