I have known this chap years and would never have guessed?

Sex attack cabbie jailed



Life ban: Sex attack cabbie Mohammed Riaz

Published Date: 18 August 2008
By Claire Lewis
Crime reporter
A SHEFFIELD taxi driver who pounced on two women passengers as he drove them home has been banned from ever working as a cabbie again.
Mohammed Riaz, aged 51, of Staniforth Road, Darnall, was found guilty of attacking one woman in 2004 and another three years later and jailed for two years.

But police believe there could be more victims out there who have never come forward.

Detectives now want to hear from anyone who believes they have been assaulted by the cabbie and said if the cases go to court he could receive even longer behind bars.

And they have urged women to continue to use taxis rather than risk walking home at nights.

Detective Constable Joanne Vaughan said: "We believe there may be more women out there who have not come forward and we would urge them to contact us. He could get a further sentence if found guilty of any more offences.

"This was a gross breach of trust and fortunately this man is an exception to the rule - we still advise people to use registered taxis to get home safely."

Riaz, who worked as a private hire taxi driver for a large Sheffield firm at the time of the attacks, got into the back of his car when he dropped his first victim off at home, tried to kiss her and sexually assaulted her.

On the second occasion he persuaded his victim to sit in the front of his car as he drove her home, tried to kiss her and indecently assaulted her.

He denied both offences but was found guilty after a trial of one count of indecent assault and another of sexual assault.
Andrew Smith, defending, told Sheffield Crown Court Riaz still maintains his innocence.

"He continues to deny the offences so I can't offer an apology or an explanation," he said.

Mr Smith said one of the women told her partner after the attack that Riaz had "tried it on".

He said he was not "a predatory sex offender who was determined to have his way whether they consented or not".

Mr Smith added Riaz was "a proud man" and "at the heart of his community" whose peers would take "a dim view" of his criminal record.
Judge Michael Murphy jailed him and gave him with a Sexual Offenders Protection Order, banning him from ever working as a taxi driver anywhere in the UK again.

He branded the offences a "dreadful breach of trust" and added Riaz to the Sex Offenders' Register for the next 10 years.

"Taxi drivers perform a vital service for the public and people are entitled to trust a taxi driver," he added.

"Taxi drivers must behave with respect towards customers - you abused the trust those women placed in you.

"Your attitude towards women is a matter of great concern.
"I think the risk is there for the future."

Riaz was also jailed for 18 months, to run at the same time as the sentence for the sex offences, for forging a passport, renewing the forged passport and assisting unlawful immigration into the country.
He admitted using his dead son's details to apply for a passport for his cousin's newborn child to get him into the country from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Riaz's own son died in 1994 at just two days old, and because he and his wife were unable to have anymore children they agreed to bring up his cousin's son as their own and have raised him for the past 14 years.
n Any other victims of Riaz should call ring Moss Way CID on 0114 220 2020.