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Cab Driver Touched Up Woman by Accident
19th August 2008
A mini-cab driver was yesterday found not guilty of sexually assaulting a Harrow woman.
Mirzaman Hashmi, 22, from Camden, had been accused of forcing himself on the 32-year-old, and putting his hand inside her bra, after taking her and two friends home from the Priory Nightclub, in Ealing.
He told the jury any contact was an accident and they believed him, but went on to convict him of sexual assault and assault by penetration for a different attack carried out on a 21-year-old Swedish au-pair.
Hashmi was on police bail when he approached the second woman, also in Ealing, on January 4.
Simon Wild, prosecuting, said: "She thought he was drunk and acting strangely and she tried to shake him off but he insisted on walking with her.
"When they got to Woodfield Gardens he grabbed her from behind and put his hand under her top and touched her breasts.
“She began to scream and he put his hand over her mouth, pushed her to the ground and kissed her. He pulled her jeans and pants down and put his fingers inside her.
"He was stopped when lights came on and a householder came to the woman's rescue. The householder had been woken by the screams. The defendant ran off.”
The young woman was examined and DNA from Hashmi was found. He was arrested in Harlesden in February and denied the incident completely.
However, when faced with the DNA evidence he admitted it had happened but claimed the young woman wanted to have sex with him and he stopped when she changed her mind.
Mr Wild said: "You have here a dangerous man who has attacked women and may have done much more, had he not been caught."
The Harrow woman claimed she had been assaulted after being driven home with two other women on December 2, last year.
Mr Wild told the court Hashmi dropped her friends off before telling her she was beautiful. He was accused of pushing her back into his car after she had already left and touching her breast.
Mr Wild said: "She shouted 'Mum' and he backed off and she ran over the road to her house. He followed her and grabbed her phone and said 'sorry' and not to call the police.
“She said she wouldn't and he returned her phone. But she took his car registration number and called the police the next morning. He was arrested the next day, claimed he had helped the woman out of the car and any touching was not sexual."
Hashmi was remanded in custody and will return to court in October for sentencing
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Brummie Cabbie.
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