Rapist taxi driver Altaf Hussain may have attacked before in Sheffield, says detective

Altaf Hussain, 45, of Silverdale Road, was jailed for 15 years in December after he picked up a vulnerable young woman who had been on a night out, drove her to a secluded area and raped her.

The Sheffield taxi driver – who is a dad of four – later blamed the victim and insisted the sex was consensual and ‘her idea’, forcing her to testify against him in court.

Now, the South Yorkshire Police detective who took Hussain off the streets has shared how the vile attacker was caught – and how he feels there is a chance he has other victims yet to come forward.

DC Thomas Ryan, who led the investigation, said: “Altaf Hussain is a disservice to taxi drivers. We put our confidence in drivers to get us and our loved ones home – he abused that position of trust.

"Sheffield is safer without him.”

What happened on the night of the attack

On January 26, 2020, the young woman in the case was left on her own after a night out when her friends took a taxi home together and the boy she was with wandered off by himself.

This left her to get a taxi home on her own – at which point she climbed into the Hackney carriage cab of Altaf Hussain.

DC Ryan said: “Hussain’s cab was fitted with a radio that also tracked his location. Later in the investigation, we were able to track his exact location and time on a map. It was eerie – it meant we watched the offence happen in real time.

"There was a distinct moment he made a U-turn on Ecclesall Road and took a different exit on the Hunter’s Bar roundabout he had just used, before driving to where the offence took place.

"The time it took to pick her up, carry out the offence and drop her at home was around 29 minutes.”

It was then that Hussain drove his vulnerable victim to a secluded area, raped her, and dropped her off at home.

Taxi driver’s actions were ‘slick and predatory’

DC Ryan said: “The judge said in the trial he had ‘grave concerns’ about Hussain, and I echo that – his actions were slick and predatory.

"It was so quick it almost seemed rehearsed. I would be shocked it’s the first time he did this kind of thing.

"I would not at all be surprised if there are other victims of his who have not come forward.”

When the victim got in sometime after 4am, her concerned friends rang the police and reported the attack. After her experience, the brave young woman went through the process of a police interview and evidence gathering on the same night.

DC Ryan and his team ordered their forensics lab to fast track the DNA evidence they gathered. A month after the attack, in March, it came back with a match on Altaf Hussain.

DC Ryan said: “We immediately acted on it, as he posed a risk. He wasn’t in at home, but his wife called him and we told him he was wanted for questioning.

"He turned up to the police station in the cab.

Taxi driver ‘added insult to injury’ by lying and making victim go through trial

"We arrested him on suspicion of rape, seized the cab and began interviews.”

Hussain made no comment in interviews, before opting to read a prepared statement.

His defence, from there on and throughout the trial, was that he and the victim – who was less than half his age – had had consensual sex and it had all been ‘her idea’.

"It added insult to injury,” said DC Ryan. “The evidence we had was, I thought, conclusive. This girl was half his age. To say they had consensual sex was his only option.

"He decided to blame the victim and claim it was all her idea. He committed this crime and went on to lie about her too.”

But the jury didn’t buy it. In December 2021, Hussain was found guilty of two counts of rape and was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Judge David Dixon scolded the 45-year-old in sentencing, saying: “You are a disgraceful man who has abused a young woman whose life has been changed for your own satisfaction.

"Your character references said you are a helpful member of the community that people found hard to believe could carry out these offences. Those individuals didn't sit through the trial and hear the nonsense that you told to the jury.

"The way in which you carried out this offence greatly troubles me. There was no hesitation. You knew where to take her and had no concern of dropping her off at her home.

"In my judgement you knew from the very moment you saw her that she was vulnerable through drink and at that moment you chose to abuse her.

"The suggestion that she made any sort of advances to you is utterly ludicrous.”

‘Inspirational’ victim reveals impact of attack

During the trial, the victim faced her attacker in court. She told the judge how his actions had impacted her life – she had had to move away from Sheffield, change her career and was suffering ‘intrusive thoughts every day’.

She said: "I want to be strong and let him know that he has not ruined me but it has made my life very hard."

DC Ryan said he had spoken to the victim since, and she was now trying to move on with her life.

“I found the victim to be inspirational,” said DC Ryan. “She was brave on the night of the offence to be interviewed right away and having to wait to get justice.

"I have nothing but admiration and respect for her.

"Any victim of sexual offences can come forward and report what happened to them and they will be listened to.”