A man pretended to be a taxi driver in order to lure Aberdeen women into his car where he sexually assaulted them, a court has heard.
Junaid Muhammed Naheed, 27, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted groping two women on separate occasions after offering them a late-night lift.
Both women were under the impression Naheed was an Aberdeen taxi driver when they got in the car – but he then lunged at them, kissing and groping them without their consent.
It was also revealed at Naheed – who actually works as a delivery driver – was already on the sex offenders register for groping a 16-year-old girl in Manchester in 2021.
Naheed groped woman and she tried to pay fare
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told the court that at around 00.15am on the evening of August 21 2021 a 21-year-old woman and her friend had been at a flat in Powis Place when they left and stood at a nearby bus stop.
As they waited Naheed’s car pulled up alongside and he lowered the window before offering the women a lift.
One of the women thought Naheed’s car was a taxi and asked how much, to which he replied £12.
The woman declined and he then stated that it would only cost £4, which she accepted.
They got in, with one woman sitting in the front passenger seat and the other sitting in the back.
Naheed drove the women to Denburn Road, near Belmont Street, where the woman tried to pay the fare.
Naheed replied “not like that” before leaning in and kissing her on the mouth.
He then grabbed the woman by the waist and repeatedly asked to touch her breasts, which the woman considered “disgusting” and felt uncomfortable, telling him: “No, what the f*** do you think you’re doing?”
Naheed then lunged towards the woman as she leaned back and grabbed her breasts and private parts over her clothing.
The woman reported the incident to police who were patrolling in Aberdeen city centre and enquiries were made.
Woman suffered double assault
Ms Spark then told the court about a second incident a few weeks later, at 11.30pm on September 13 2021, where a woman, 19, was walking home along after socialising with a friend when she saw Naheed standing next to a parked car.
“The accused invited the complainer to enter his car and said he could take her home,” Ms Spark said.
The fiscal added that once the woman was inside the car, Naheed “told her he was a taxi driver”.
He drove only a short distance to John Street where he stopped and tried to kiss the woman on the mouth, also placing his hand down the front and back of her jeans.
Naheed then tried to place his hands inside the woman’s underwear, but she managed to remove it before he could do so.
The woman asked to be dropped off there and then, however, Naheed insisted on driving her home.
He drove her to Summerfield Terrace where he stopped the car in the middle of the road before again trying to kiss and grope her through her clothing.
Naheed grabbed at her breasts and again tried to force his hand inside her underwear, telling him she wasn’t interested and “had a boyfriend”.
“During the journey the complainer had lost her keys inside the accused’s car,” Ms Spark said.
“She got out of the car on Summerfield Terrace and looked for them inside the vehicle.
“The accused also got out of the car and walked round to the passenger side.
“The complainer told the accused to leave her alone and she walked to her address.
“He followed her and tried to persuade her to get back into the car.
“The complainer told the accused to go away and reiterated that she didn’t want anything to do with him. The accused re-entered his car and drove away.”
Due to having no keys to enter her home, the woman walked to a nearby pub and banged on the door where she was let in by staff.
They noticed the woman was in a distressed state and she told them that she had been “sexually assaulted by a taxi driver”.
Naheed was later arrested and interviewed by police, where he claimed the woman had made sexual advances towards him, which he declined. He denied sexually assaulting her.
During these enquiries, he was also identified as the man involved in the incident a month earlier.
In the dock, Naheed pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault.
Accused already on sex offenders register
His solicitor Graham Morrison revealed that his client was already subject to the sex offenders register based on an incident that had occurred in Manchester, for which he was given a three-year community order.
It’s understood that this incident, which included sexual touching, involved a 16-year-old girl.
Mr Morrison elected to say nothing further until Naheed’s sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Andrew Miller deferred sentence on Naheed, of Fraser Place, Aberdeen, until March in order for a criminal justice social work report with risk assessment and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.
He also placed Naheed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis.
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