Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver who sexually assaulted woman caught by relative's DNA



A taxi driver who sexually assaulted a young woman in his car was caught thanks to a DNA check on a relative.

Patrick Cullen attacked the 24-year-old in a secluded lane near Rangers' Murray Park training ground in Milngavie in February 2011.

The 44-year-old remained at large despite a media appeal to catch the attacker.

However, in late 2012, a relative of Cullen appeared on the national DNA database, which helped police connect Cullen to DNA found at the scene at the time.

It led to Cullen being convicted of the sex attack after escaping justice for almost three years.

A judge warned him that he faces a lengthy custodial sentence when he returns to the High Court in Glasgow next month.

A jury heard how Cullen picked up his victim in the city's Glassford Street in the early hours of February 19, 2011.

Soon into the journey, Cullen, who claimed his name was Gary, began questioning his passenger on her sexuality and asking "rude questions".

His passenger told the court: "He was going on about how girls have sex, things like that. I felt uncomfortable - I don't like when people ask questions like that."

Cullen, of Moodiesburn, North Lanarkshire, then told the woman that he was "feeling horny".

He soon drove his private hire Chrysler into a quiet area in Finlay Rise in Milngavie, near to Murray Park, before halting the vehicle.

Recalling her ordeal, the woman said: "He told me to get into the back of the car. I was scared, but I did it."

Cullen then indecently assaulted his victim and made her perform a sex act on him.

He then dropped her home but demanded that she pay the £7 fare for the journey.

The victim called police and a hunt was launched to catch Cullen.

DNA was found near the scene and the woman was also able to help construct an e-fit of her attacker which bore a striking resemblance to Cullen.

However, it was not until a DNA check was carried out on a relative of Cullen that officers unearthed the similarities in the DNA profile.

It is not known why the check was carried out but the findings pointed police in the direction of Cullen.

Cullen insisted during the trial that the woman agreed to what happened in his car and that she "enjoyed" it.

He said: "It was two consenting adults performing a sex act."

Cullen also claimed, despite media appeals and the e-fit, that he had never been asked about the incident until police contacted him in September 2012.

Cullen had his bail continued until March.

But Lord Matthews warned: "In view of the nature of the offence a custodial sentence is very much on my mind at the moment."

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/262682-taxi ... rray-park/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Taxi driver is jailed for sexual assault on passenger



A TAXI driver who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman after a DNA check on a relative has been jailed for 18 months.

Patrick Cullen attacked the woman, 24, in a secluded lane near Rangers Murray Park training ground in Milngavie in February 2011.

The married 44-year old remained at large despite a media appeal. In late 2012, a relative of Cullen appeared on the national DNA database and it helped police link the father-of-two to DNA found at the scene.


Cullen yesterday returned to the High Court in Glasgow after earlier being convicted of the indecent assault. His lawyer said Cullen maintained he was not a sex offender.

But Lord Matthews said the assault was serious, adding: "The aggravating feature was that you were a taxi driver - your job was to take the woman home."

Cullen, of Moodiesburn, North Lanarkshire, was also placed on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.

A jury last month heard how Cullen picked up his victim in Glassford Street, Glasgow, in the early hours of February 19, 2011 after she had been at a gay bar. Cullen - who claimed his name was Gary - quizzed her on her sexuality and asked "rude questions". Cullen drove his private hire Chrysler into a quiet area in Finlay Rise in Milngavie - near to Murray Park - before halting the vehicle and indecently assaulting her.

Detective Inspector Alasdair Anderson paid tribute to the bravery of the victim through her ordeal and added: "Without doubt, her testimony in court has been vital to his conviction. Her courage and strength is to be admired. I hope that the conviction of this man will give confidence to other victims of sexual assault to come forward and report it to Police Scotland, safe in the knowledge that officers will vigorously pursue the perpetrators."

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crim ... r.23534244

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin