Taxi driver repeatedly groped passenger, court hears
A taxi driver groped a 20-year-old woman he was driving her home following a night out in the Black Country, a court heard.
Karnail Virk picked up his victim in the early hours of the morning and asked her to sit in the front of his cab and hold his sat nav, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
But during the journey from Walsall the woman's home in Brierley Hill, the 41-year-old repeatedly tried to make physical contact.
Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said: "Virk initially tried to hold her hand and then stroked her right thigh on five occasions. He told her she was a nice girl and that he wanted to take her to dinner.
"After she paid her fare he pulled her towards him and hugged her. She couldn't pull away. He tried to kiss her again and she told him to stop."
He added that he then groped his victim through her coat.
The court was told the woman broke free from Virk's grip and fled into her house from where she telephoned the police.
"The incident has had a significant impact on her life," added Mr Searle.
The court heard Virk's private hire licence was withdrawn as soon as his employers found out her had been charged with sexual assault.
Ms Lynette McClement, defending, said: "He has now lost his livelihood and works for a pizza company. He is clearly someone who misjudges social situations and he has stepped way over the boundaries of what is acceptable."
Virk, of Bescot Crescent, Walsall, admitted sexual assault.
Sentencing him to a three-year community order with supervision, Judge Martin Walsh said: "Anybody, particularly young women who seek to be driven home in private hire vehicles need to feel safe.
"Predatory behaviour of this sort is completely unacceptable. If I was to send you to prison immediately you would not be able to complete a sex offenders' rehabilitation programme.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that if you breach the order it is likely you will receive an immediate term in prison."
Virk was also ordered to complete a sex offenders' rehabilitation programme and was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years following the incident in September.
