Fake Taxi Driver Jailed for Raping Student in Selly Oak
An unlicensed taxi driver has been jailed for nine years after he raped a Birmingham student in Selly Oak
Attif Hamid was found guilty of rape at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 21st of September following the assault in March.
The student was leaving a nightclub in Digbeth - where she was celebrating handing in her dissertation - when Hamid offered her a low fare of £10 for a taxi ride home.
Prosecutors told the court that Hamid became frustrated when she could not withdraw money from a cash machine. Then, he forced her to perform a sex act on him in a ‘secluded spot’ in Selly Oak before leaving her in the street.
“
Prosecutor Rhydian James called Hamid a ‘dangerous sexual predator’
The student managed to note down his vehicle registration and West Midlands Police arrested him later that day.
In court, the Judge said: ‘She was going to celebrate the fact she had finished her dissertation for her degree; she was going to go out with friends, enjoy and celebrate their achievements.
‘You in the meantime, were getting ready to go out as someone pretending to be a taxi driver.
‘She was vulnerable as you learned she had no cash. It was then you took the opportunity to rape her.’
Prosecutor Rhydian James called Hamid a ‘dangerous sexual predator’ and sentenced him to nine years in jail. He has also been disqualified from driving for six and a half years.
For information and guidance on how to report sexual assault please visit: https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/rape
To report a crime, you can contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk. Alternatively, you can call 101 or dial 999 in an emergency.
More resources – including advice on how to take care of yourself after an assault, supporting someone you know who has been assaulted, and links to external support services – can be found on the University of Birmingham intranet here: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/welfare/sexual-harassment-and-violence/you-report-we-support.aspx