TARANJIT SINGH FROM GLOUCESTER ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE AT GLOUCESTER CROWN COURT
A taxi driver from Gloucester, Taranjit Singh, has narrowly avoided imprisonment after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty.The 49-year-old, commonly known as Tony, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault during a trial at Gloucester Crown Court on July 30.
Following his conviction, Singh was handed a ten-year ban from driving a taxi, a penalty that will prevent him from working in passenger transport for a decade.
The court proceedings revealed troubling details about Singh’s interactions with the victim, who had previously used his taxi service multiple times.
It was also disclosed that Singh had shared his personal mobile number with her, raising concerns about inappropriate familiarity.
The incident in question occurred in November 2021, when Singh, despite being off duty, agreed to pick up the woman from Gloucester and drive her to Tewkesbury.
This act was a breach of his licensing conditions.
During the journey, the woman, who was in her twenties, fell asleep.
She awoke to find Singh driving to an industrial estate, where the assault took place.
The court heard that Singh engaged in digital penetration of the woman’s vagina and touched her breast without her consent.
She repeatedly asked him to stop and tried to push his arm away, but Singh persisted with the assault, even telling her that she was enjoying it.
The victim’s distress was compounded by the fact that she had secretly recorded some of Singh’s previous rides in his taxi, footage that was shown in court.
One of the recordings captured Singh propositioning the woman for sexual favors, which she firmly declined.
Singh, who resides on Estcourt Close in Gloucester, denied the allegations, claiming that any contact with the woman’s breast was accidental and occurred while he was helping her with her seatbelt.
He also alleged that the woman had guided his hand into her trousers, suggesting her participation in the incident.
On October 18, Singh was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Gloucester Crown Court.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and is prohibited from working as a taxi driver or in any paid passenger transport role during this period, under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Additional penalties include 200 hours of unpaid community service, participation in a rehabilitation program lasting up to 30 days, and a financial contribution of £4,380 towards prosecution costs.
Following the sentencing, the victim expressed her feelings about the incident, stating, “While this incident only lasted a short time that night, it has had a major long-term effect on me mentally.
I would urge anyone who has been through similar to contact the police.
I felt heard, seen and believed, and I had great support throughout the process.
I’m so glad I reported to hopefully help stop the same happening to others.” Detective Constable Annabel Brittain praised the victim’s bravery in coming forward, emphasizing the importance of reporting such incidents.
She said, “The victim is to be commended for reporting this distressing incident as, by having the strength to support the investigation, she has helped keep others safe while achieving justice for herself.
As she read out her victim impact statement to the court, it was clear how much she has been affected by what happened, and I am extremely glad she says she has felt well supported by police throughout.
I hope this conviction is reassurance to others that when such concerning incidents are reported, we will be as thorough and relentless as possible in securing all available evidence to bring offenders to justice.”
