South Yorkshire taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls denies charges

Khurram Javed, 35, of Clifton Crescent, Rotherham is currently on trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape.

The four charges relate to separate incidents, involving two complainants, that are alleged to have taken place in Rotherham between May 2008 and March 2014.

Neither of the complainants can be named for legal reasons.

The first of Javed's alleged victims, Girl A, claims she met him when he was working as a delivery driver at the Sizzling Wok takeaway in Badsley Moor Road, Rotherham when she was aged between 12 and 13-years-old.

Javed's offending against Girl A is alleged to have taken place when she visited the takeaway on her own some time between May 2008 and March 2009, when he would have been aged between 25 and 26-years-old.

He is alleged to have sexually assaulted the girl twice in an alleyway next to the takeaway.

When asked about the allegations by his defence barrister, Patrick Cassidy, Javed said he did not know Girl A, and denied ever sexually assaulting anyone in the alleyway next to the Sizzling Wok.

Mr Cassidy asked Javed: "Did you ever take any child down that alleyway, or sexually touch Girl A there," to which Javed replied: "No, never."

Javed told the court that he had been subjected to racist abuse by some of the children who congregated around the parade of Badsley Moor Road, and on one occasion two girls had attempted to get into his delivery van, which he reported to the police.

Girl B met Javed when he picked her up as a passenger in his taxi in March 2014 and drove her to a friend's house.

During the 10 minute journey he told Girl B his name was 'Jay' and the pair swapped numbers.

Javed is accused of sexually assaulting and raping Girl B on March 5, 2014 after collecting her from the supported living accommodation she was staying at. She would have been 16-years-old at the time.

He took the girl to his friend's shop in Wakefield, and Girl B alleges that he sexually assaulted her in a bedroom above the shop.

She claims he then gave her a three-litre of bottle of cider to drink on the journey back to Rotherham, before parking the car up in a lay-by and raping her in the back of his car.

Javed, who is married with children, denies both allegations, but accepts taking Girl B to Wakefield.

Giving evidence at court, Javed told jurors that the pair had kissed shortly after first meeting, but said he decided to stop all romantic contact between them when she told him she was 16-years-old during their visit to Wakefield.

He also denied giving Girl B alcohol, and said the reason had pulled over in a lay-by was because she was 'upset' with him for refusing to enter into a relationship with her.

"She was upset. I told her: 'You're too young, I can't handle that'. She was talking about how we could be together," Javed told the court.

Javed denies all charges.

The trial continues.