Businessman Mohammed Malik is facing years behind bars after he kidnapped and molested a 20-year-old who thought he was a taxi driver.
Prowling the city centre in his black estate car, this is fake cabbie Mohammed Malik on the night he kidnapped and sexually abused a young reveller.
Stalking the streets looking for a victim, the businessman is caught on CCTV picking up a drunk 20-year-old who thought he was a taxi driver.
The victim got into Malik’s car near The Gate complex, on Newgate Street, and asked to be taken the short distance to the place in the city centre where she was staying with friends.
But instead Malik drove her to the West End of Newcastle, parked up in a secluded spot and subjected the terrified young woman to a sordid sex attack.
He was snared after three men who spotted the woman getting into the car noted down the registration number and texted it to police.
Now the 30-year-old, of Beaconsfield Street, Arthur’s Hill, Newcastle, is facing years in prison after a jury at Newcastle Crown Court convicted him of kidnap and sexual assault.
Prosecutor Julian Smith said the 20-year-old was a visitor to the city and had been out celebrating a birthday with friends in March when she started looking for a taxi around 4am.
Mr Smith said: “The complainant found herself drunk and alone, looking for a taxi to get her back to her friends.
“Unfortunately for her, the car she got into, believing it to be a taxi, is nothing of the sort.
“She found herself in the defendant’s car, who drove her to a secluded area to the west of the city, away from the city centre. He would not let her leave the car or take her to her friends or the place where she was staying.
“He took her away under false pretences, he would not let her leave and he then took the opportunity to seriously sexually assault her.”
The court heard the young woman and her friends had been to a number of bars, including Popworld, Kiss and Destiny.
They ended up in a takeaway near The Gate, at which point the 20-year-old left and went looking for a cab.
As she was a stranger to Newcastle, she didn’t realise she was only 200 yards from the place where her and her friends were staying.
She was unsuccessful in trying to hail a taxi outside Sinner’s bar and so started walking towards the Haymarket, up Newgate Street.
Mr Smith said: “At that point the defendant’s car comes into view driving down the road away from the Haymarket and it stops in the layby taxi rank outside Debenham’s.
“She approaches him and speaks to him them gets in the car.”
Malik, who manages a number of properties, including a takeaway, drove off with the woman in his VW Golf estate.
Three men passing by saw the woman getting into the car, which they noticed was not a taxi.
They made a note of the registration number and texted it to police. This would ultimately help nail Malik but could not stop the attack.
The pervert drove up Elswick Road with the kidnapped woman, parking up in a secluded spot on Bentinck Road, Elswick.
Despite her screams of “No”, he pulled her into the back seat by her arms and legs and subjected her to a sexual assault.
Mr Smith said: “He would have known she was lost because she told him she was not from round here.
“She was trusting him, believing him to be a taxi driver.
“It lasted some time and eventually, despite having no clue where she was, she told him he made her sick and had the courage to leave the car.
“She rang her friends as she ran away, she was in great distress.
“Fortunately she met two drunken Good Samaritans who stayed with her.”
Malik then reappeared in his car, acting as if nothing had happened and asking if she was going to get back in. She refused and the passers-by flagged down a genuine taxi to take her back into town to her friends.
Police were called and when the woman was examined they found bruising to her arms and legs.
Malik was arrested later the same day as a result of his number plate having been sent to the police.
His DNA was also recovered from the victim’s clothing.
Malik, who had denied kidnap and sexual assault, will be sentenced next month. He was remanded in custody and faces a significant jail term.
Judge John Milford told him: “Doubtless you have been warned as to the sort of sentence you are likely to receive in terms of years.”
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