A TAXI driver branded a ‘sexual predator’ has been locked up for eight years for sexually assaulting two women he picked up on nights out in Sheffield.
Zahoor Mahmood, aged 40, who worked for City Taxis, targeted both women within the space of three weeks last summer.
He picked his first victim up outside Club Xes, Carlisle Street, Attercliffe, in the early hours of June 19 last year, at about 3.40am and instead of taking her home - which would have taken 12 minutes - he locked her in his cab, climbed into the back with her and tried to get her to snort cocaine to get her ‘in the mood’.
Police spoke to him about the matter when a complaint was made but three weeks later he preyed upon a 17-year-old girl he spotted walking home after a night out.
He said ‘a pretty young girl’ should not be walking alone and when she told him she had no money for the fare he offered to driver her home for free.
But instead of her journey home lasting the five minutes it should have done he locked her in his cab for an hour, tried to get her to snort cocaine and touched her.
The court heard he had wanted to involve the girl in a threesome with another woman, who gave evidence against the taxi driver during his trial, revealing details of what his plan had been.
She managed to send a text message to a friend saying she was ‘scared’ and the police were contacted.
Mahmood, of Balfour Road, Darnall, was jailed for a total of eight years and will have to spend an extended three years on licence at the end of his sentence, meaning he will be monitored by the authorities for a total of 11 years.
Councillor Simon Lawler QC said he posed a ‘significant risk to members of the public of serious harm’.
He also described him as ‘devious’ and ‘dishonest’ and made him the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning him from every working as a public service vehicle driver ever again.
See tomorrow’s Star for a full report.