Rapist who pretended to be a taxi driver jailed

Fareed Tariq was jailed for a "near-identical crime" in 2012

A man who pretended to be a taxi driver to pick up a woman who he then raped, has been handed an 18-year sentence.

The woman had been on a night out in Swindon on 15 April 2023 when Fareed Tariq lured her into his car before driving to a quiet area where he assaulted her.

It is the second time Tariq, 43, of Barnum Court, Swindon, has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out. He was jailed for six years in 2012 for what the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) called a "near-identical crime".

During sentencing at Swindon Crown Court earlier, the judge said Tariq must serve 13 years in custody and five on licence.

Tariq was found guilty of rape by a jury during a trial in February.

The court was told he posed as a taxi driver in Swindon town centre to pick up a lone woman at a taxi rank on Bridge Street in the early hours.

She reported the attack to police the next morning.

Tariq initially denied sexual contact before later saying it had been consensual sex.

'Rape will haunt me forever'

The victim said in a statement that her life came “crashing down” as she struggled with her emotions.

She told the court: "The rape will haunt me forever", adding that she had turned to alcohol to try to forget what had happened.

Tariq watched via video link from a prison in Oxfordshire as the court sentencing got under way.

The judge told him he was a significant risk to women and his attitude was not likely to change.

Tariq watched remotely via video link as he was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court

Tariq was given a six-year sentence for rape in Swindon in 2011 in an attack where he posed as a taxi driver.

He had also been recalled twice under licence after complaints from women.

The judge paid tribute to the victim, who was in court for the sentencing, saying she “had the courage to go to police... and has protected potential victims".

The victim’s statement told how her seven-year relationship with her partner had broken down after the rape and she found it hard to trust people.

"I hope my nightmare will become a distant memory, but I doubt it, the rape will haunt me forever," she added.

Lisa Garcia, senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, called Tariq "a danger to women".

She continued: “Not only did he pose as a taxi driver to prey on a lone victim, Tariq then cruelly tried to blame her for his depraved crime.

“The fact he committed a strikingly similar crime over a decade ago shows he is devoid of remorse and remains a threat to the public."