Driving instructor convicted of sexually assaulting student

Juma Kagwa, 47, groped the student during a lesson, causing her to message a friend saying she feared she was about to be raped

A driving instructor convicted of sexually assaulting one of his students could face jail.

Juma Kagwa, 47, groped the 20-year-old woman during a lesson, before asking her to drive to a remote location.

Kagwa, of Horsefair Street, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, denied wrongdoing but was convicted by a majority verdict at Cirencester Courthouse on Friday.

Jurors failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of sexual assault that was later dropped by the prosecution.

Kagwa had given the woman about 20 lessons and she became increasingly uncomfortable with his sexual comments, the jury heard.

The situation came to a head on 15 August 2021 the day before the student was due to take her test.

Kagwa began rubbing his hand over the inside of her thigh and towards her groin, the court heard.

He then made her pull into a layby where he removed the car's magnetic driving school sign, and told her to drive to Crickley Hill country park near Cheltenham.

SOS rape message

On arrival, the defendant asked her to get out of the car and go for a walk with him, but she refused to leave the vehicle.

The terrified victim sent a Snapchat message to a friend saying "Help, I think I'm going to get raped".

After agreeing to leave the park, Kagwa continued to rub the woman's back and shoulders as they returned to her address.

She later told him she no longer wanted driving lessons and blocked his phone number, but he approached her as she was walking to work the next day.

Giving evidence, Kagwa insisted he had only tried to comfort the woman because she was stressed about seeing two men she knew crossing the road in front of her.

Kagwa added she had complained during the lesson about him overcharging her and was upset when he told her that he did not think she was test ready.

He said he had been an "idiot" to approach the woman, but denied going to her place of work deliberately to confront her.

Kagwa's sentence has been adjourned until 25 November to allow time for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

He has been granted bail ahead of sentencing.