Pervert taxi driver Tawab Khan has been jailed for seven years after being convicted of sexually abusing a young woman in his cab.

The 48-year-old father-of-nine agreed a £10 fare to take his victim home following her night out with friends in Hanley and she sat in the back of the cab.

But he asked her to sit in the front of the taxi before touching her, kissing her face and groping her breasts.

The victim pleaded with him to let her get out of the cab and her ordeal finally came to an end when he eventually stopped near Park Hall.

Now Khan, of Newshaw Walk, Hanley, has been convicted of assault by penetration and two charges of sexual assault following a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court this week.

The court heard the woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - left Hanley at 2.45am.

Tawab Khan has been jailed for seven years after being convicted by a jury of assault be penetration and two offences of sexual assault

Prosecutor Tom Kenning told the jury: “She left on her own and looked for a taxi. The first taxi driver she tried said he would charge £15 to take her home but the second taxi, driven by the defendant, agreed to take her for £10.

“She got in the back and he said, ‘You seem like a nice girl’. She said she had left early on her own because she had work in the morning. He said, ‘Why don’t you get in the front'? and she did. She thought he was being pleasant. If she had not had a drink she may have been alerted to what he was intending to do.

“He touched her and tried to kiss her. She said, ‘No, stop’. He continued driving.

“He said, ‘You are a nice girl, you are a beautiful girl'. She became concerned. He grabbed her breasts. It became clear he was not going the most direct route to her home.

“He put his hand on her leg and sexually assaulted her. She repeatedly asked to be let out. He eventually did. She was upset and called the police.”

The court heard police arrested Khan later that morning. He told officers the woman had groped him.

In a victim statement the woman says she has suffered panic attacks and flashbacks since her ordeal and now barely goes out.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said Khan is a committed community member who is involved in the North Staffordshire volleyball team.

He came to this country from Afghanistan after being targeted by warlords due to him being a successful businessman. Six of his nine children are still financially dependant on him.

Mr Cliff said: “He is well known in the religious community of North Staffordshire.”

The defendant’s taxi licence was suspended following his arrest and he has since worked as a fast-food delivery driver.

Mr Cliff added: “There is no chance of him being able to work as a taxi driver again.”

Khan will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

Judge David Fletcher told him: "The one thing anyone should expect when getting into a taxi is that they are safe. On this occasion, this young woman was treated by you in a way that means she was simply not safe. She has been seriously affected psychologically.

“This was a sustained incident. She begged you to let her out of the taxi. She was upset, she was crying, she was frightened.”

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