TAXI DRIVER CARRIED OUT A SICKENING SEXUAL ASSAULT ON HIS PASSENGER AFTER SHE FELL ASLEEP IN THE BACK OF HIS VEHICLE
A taxi driver was convicted of viciously assaulting a female passenger after she fell asleep in his vehicle.Lucel Tugui diverted from the route home after taking the woman in Liverpool city centre and instead drove her to a remote spot.
There, he carried out a series of sexual offenses, which were captured on CCTV footage showing him appearing confident and remarking that “she has no idea what happened” after his assault and subsequent drop-off.
The incident was brought to court during a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, where prosecutor Paul Becker described that the woman, in her 20s, had attended a birthday celebration that evening.
She had consumed alcohol too rapidly and became very intoxicated, prompting her friends to call a taxi as they moved on to other venues.
Helped into Tugui’s vehicle around 1:30 a.m., she was in a vulnerable state, sick and unable to care for herself.
Although her journey should have lasted less than thirty minutes, Tugui deviated from the expected route, taking her instead to a secluded area in Knowsley.
In that location, the driver, a man from Fazakerley, stopped his car and turned off the engine.
CCTV evidence showed him performing sexual acts on her and forcing her to engage in one too.
The woman later informed authorities she had regained consciousness during the attack but stayed still and kept her eyes shut due to fear, believing he might kill her if she resisted.
The driver, who spoke Romanian and was assisted by an interpreter in court, was caught on camera expressing satisfaction, saying “she has no idea what happened to her.” He later claimed he was trying to wake her during the trip.
Tugui admitted to and was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and causing someone to participate in non-consensual sexual activity.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and is also subject to a lifetime restraining order that bans him from contact with the victim as well as working as a taxi driver.
Furthermore, he is required to register as a sex offender indefinitely and is under a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
