Bogus taxi driver Abdul Samad found guilty of sexually assaulting woman

A takeaway delivery driver sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman after duping her into thinking he was a cabbie.

Abdul Samad, 39, preyed on the 20-year-old from the journey in Glasgow’s Tradeston to her home in the west end.

Samad pretended to be a taxi driver before picking up the girl and then dropping off food en-route on July 24, 2019.

He repeatedly groped her under her clothing, touched her on the leg and repeatedly performed a sex act on her during the journey as well as on the M74.

On Tuesday, Samad was found guilty by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court to sexually assaulting the woman.

He was not in the dock for the verdict and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The court witnessed CCTV of Samad crossing three lanes in order to pick up the victim in the early hours of the morning.

Samad, of the city’s Castlemilk, claimed he told the girl to get into the car as she needed help.

Prosecutor Mark Allan said to him: “What if I say you were chancing your arm wanting her to believe your car was a taxi?”

He replied: “Not at all.”

Samad also believed that he was being a “good Samaritan” at the time.

He claimed that the pair said nothing to each other before she put his hand on her own on the gearstick.

Samad further claimed that it was the woman who groped him and that he was the victim of a sexual assault.

He stated that it was a culture difference which stopped him telling her it was wrong.

Samad initially dropped off food to a house in the city’s east end before going back on the motorway towards the west.

Mr Allan asked: “The woman said that you had your hand under her clothing and touched her, would you say she was lying?”

He replied: “Yes.”

The prosecutor followed up: “When she told the jury that you got her hand to perform a sex act on you, she is lying?”

Samad again stated: “Yes.”

Mr Allan said: “Why on earth would this stranger tell these evil lies about a man who did nothing to her, about a man who had simply tried to help her?”

Samad responded: “I’m still standing here surprised, you can ask her, I really don’t know what her aim was or what was going on in her mind.”

It was revealed that Samad had changed his position from having any physical contact with the victim after forensic evidence revealed the contrary.

Kevin Corr, defending, asked: “The woman stated that you inquired about her undergarment and you asked why she was not wearing a bra?”

Samad replied: “No.”

He also refuted that he asked the woman if she had a condom on her.

Samad claimed that when he dropped the victim off, she called him a “life-saver” and an “angel”.

It was revealed that Samad has a previous conviction for an assault to injury in 2009 in which he received a fine.

Sentence was deferred pending background reports by sheriff Sean Murphy QC.