A Toowoomba taxi driver has been sentenced to seven weeks in prison for sexually assaulting a female passenger in 2020. Tariq Ali, 45, followed the woman into her home after driving her from a hotel and lay on top of her in her bed.
The victim, in her 30s, had been at The Cube Hotel on the night of August 16, 2020, when she saw her ex-partner with another woman. She was intoxicated and emotional when she entered Ali's taxi around 3am, according to Judge Paul Smith in the District Court in Toowoomba.
Judge Smith said Ali comforted the woman during the cab ride but formed a sexual intention at or near her front door. He followed her to the bedroom, lay on top of her, and kissed her face and neck. The woman said no, and Ali eventually desisted and left. The judge described the act as a breach of trust and privacy.
Ali had pleaded not guilty, with his defence arguing he was fulfilling a duty of care to ensure the intoxicated passenger reached home safely. The victim's impact statement, read in court, said she felt shame, disgust, and helplessness after the incident.
Ali, an Indian national on a bridging visa, faced deportation if sentenced to more than 12 months. His lawyer noted that Ali and his wife have an inter-religious marriage, putting them at risk if deported to India. Judge Smith sentenced Ali to six months in prison, suspended after seven weeks. Ali has not worked as a taxi driver since the incident.
