A taxi driver from Birmingham has been cleared of sexually assaulting a female passenger and locking her in his car. Muhammad Naeem was found not guilty of sexual assault and false imprisonment following a trial by a jury at the city’s crown court Mr Naeem, 35-year-old of Thistledown Road, Shard End, had always denied the charges.
The court heard that the woman had rung Mercury Cars on August 11 last year and asked to be taken from her home to the Sutton Tap in South Parade. But prosecutors claimed the driver had taken her to the Sutton Sports and Social Club instead. The woman claimed that Mr Naeem had asked her to take her top off. She had refused and had offered him £10 for the fare.
Christopher Lester, prosecuting, claimed the driver had locked the doors of the vehicle, grabbed her left wrist and pulled her towards his seat. In an interview Mr Naeem had admitted mistakenly taking her to the wrong place but had denied asking her to take her top off, locking the doors or taking hold of her wrist.
