Uber driver walks free after claiming he was raped by drunk woman who could not pay fare

An Uber driver accused of forcing a drunk passenger into having sex with him when she could not pay the fare walked free from court, after accusing the woman of raping him.

The drunk woman got into Mohammad Rahman's car in Hackney, east London, and took her to west London at the end of his shift, the court heard.

He is alleged to have stopped his car in Hammersmith and forced her into having sex, saying "if you can't pay cash you will have to pay me some other way".

Rahman, who moved from Bangladesh to the UK in 2006 and is married, told the Old Bailey the woman forced him into having sex, and he was ashamed of what happened.

The jury cleared Rahman of a separate sexual assault, but could not decide over the rape allegation. He will not face retrial as the woman has said she will not give evidence for a second time.

Rahman is accused of tearing the woman's clothing and raping her in a lay-by.

He insisted the woman forced him to have sex against his will and he had considered reporting what happened to the police. He told the Old Bailey:

Rahman refused to answer police questions, apart from to tell officers he had a good relationship with his wife.

The woman, who had been drinking with colleagues at the London Fields Brewery in Hackney, described herself as being "beyond drunk", when the alleged attacks took place.