Nottinghamshire taxi driver jailed for sexually assaulting teenagers and trying to bribe witness with £6,000
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
A Nottingham taxi driver who sexually assaulted two passengers and later tried to bribe a key witness has been jailed for 16 years.
Zaheer Hussain, aged 45, was found guilty in February of sexually assaulting two young women during separate journeys in his cab. He denied the charges but was convicted following a retrial at Nottingham Crown Court.
The court heard that Hussain had earlier admitted perverting the course of justice. He attempted to derail the investigation by offering £6,000 each to a victim and a witness in exchange for changing their accounts. The offer was rejected and recorded, before being passed to the police.
Officers investigating the case obtained CCTV footage showing a man matching Hussain’s description repeatedly returning to the agreed meeting spot in an apparent effort to make the illegal payment.
The first assault took place on 23 April 2022, after Hussain picked up a passenger from Nottingham City Centre. He offered her a cigarette before placing his hand up her skirt and touching her inappropriately.
He was later identified through CCTV and interviewed by police. However, he continued working and, eight months later, targeted a second victim. On that occasion, he pulled over after making sexual comments and carried out more serious assaults.
DNA evidence linked Hussain to the second incident. He initially claimed the woman had made advances toward him. During trial, he suggested both victims – who did not know each other – had fabricated the allegations.
Hussain was sentenced on Friday to an extended 16-year term. He must serve 11 years in custody, with an additional five years on licence. He was also issued with a restraining order preventing any contact with the victims.
The court was told Hussain regretted putting the women through a trial and now accepts the outcome.
Detective Constable Rachael Flitton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was predatory and calculating behaviour from a man who appeared to believe he could do what he liked to these young women without any consequences.
“Even after his earlier interaction with the police, he upped the level of his offending and subjected another young woman to an even more serious sexual assaults.
“His victims were extremely vulnerable when they had the misfortune to find themselves alone in Hussain’s taxi.
“After trusting him to get them home safely, he abused that trust in a way I know will horrify his hard-working fellow drivers.
“His earlier suggestion that two strangers with no prior knowledge of each other would make very similar but false allegations was always remote.
“But Hussain’s claim that his second victim actually made advances towards him was little short of fanciful.
“As he begins this very significant jail sentence, I would like to place on record my thanks to those victims for the determination and bravery they have shown in order to bring this man to justice and safeguard other potential victims.”
