Cardiff taxi driver raped woman after forcing himself into her home by asking to use the toilet
A taxi driver raped a woman after convincing her to let him into her house when he asked to use the toilet.
Jakir Hussain, 39, of Watkiss Way, Grangetown, picked up the woman in Cardiff city centre and drove her home before he got into the back of the taxi and locked the doors until she allowed him to use the toilet.
Once in the victim's house, he then forced his way into her bedroom where he attacked her.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the discovery of the defendant's DNA at the scene linked him to the crime.
Hussain, who is married and expecting a third child, was arrested but denied any sexual activity took place. He later changed his story and claimed it was consensual but was found guilty of rape following a trial.
Reading out a statement to the court, the victim said she could no longer stay in her home because it caused flashbacks, and added she had tried to take her own life as a result of what happened.
She said: "Since this incident I have tried to avoid sleep because I am taken back to the night of the incident. I see [the defendant's] face in my head and can remember what he did to me."Immediately following the incident I could barely walk into my room or look at my bed as it triggered flashbacks. I could only be in my room with the lights on due to the defendant coming into the room during the incident and turning the lights off, making me fear the darkness."Since the incident I have not felt able to get into a taxi, I have a complete distrust of all taxi drivers and [it] even impacts me to the extent if female friends go on a night out I will offer to drive them home in the middle of the night.
"This has impacted me in all aspects of my life and I'm more likely to distrust other professionals who may be trying to help me."
In his defence, Hussain was said to be of previously good character and was due to become a father for a third time, having lived in the UK for eight years.
He was also said to support his family both in the UK and abroad.
Sentencing, Recorder Eugene Egan said: "[The victim] was entitled, as a bare minimum, to be taken safely to the street where she lived by you and to be treated respectfully by you. You were in a position of trust towards her, a position of trust you grossly abused."You asked her to use the toilet as a ruse to gain access to her house, you gained entry by guile. No taxi driver should ever be asking to use the toilet of a female fare passenger. You just wanted to get into her house."
Hussain was sentenced to 11 years in prison, two thirds of which he will have to serve behind bars. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and given sex offender notification requirements for life.
He was also given a restraining order and barred from working as a taxi driver indefinitely.
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