WALSALL

Karnail Virk picked up his victim in the early hours of the morning and asked her to sit in the front of his cab and hold his sat nav, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

But during the journey from Walsall the woman's home in Brierley Hill, the 41-year-old repeatedly tried to make physical contact.

Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said: "Virk initially tried to hold her hand and then stroked her right thigh on five occasions. He told her she was a nice girl and that he wanted to take her to dinner.

"After she paid her fare he pulled her towards him and hugged her. She couldn't pull away. He tried to kiss her again and she told him to stop."

He added that he then groped his victim through her coat.

The court was told the woman broke free from Virk's grip and fled into her house from where she telephoned the police.

"The incident has had a significant impact on her life," added Mr Searle.

The court heard Virk's private hire licence was withdrawn as soon as his employers found out her had been charged with sexual assault.

Ms Lynette McClement, defending, said: "He has now lost his livelihood and works for a pizza company. He is clearly someone who misjudges social situations and he has stepped way over the boundaries of what is acceptable."

Virk, of Bescot Crescent, Walsall, admitted sexual assault.

Sentencing him to a three-year community order with supervision, Judge Martin Walsh said: "Anybody, particularly young women who seek to be driven home in private hire vehicles need to feel safe.

"Predatory behaviour of this sort is completely unacceptable. If I was to send you to prison immediately you would not be able to complete a sex offenders' rehabilitation programme.

"I want to make it absolutely clear that if you breach the order it is likely you will receive an immediate term in prison."

Virk was also ordered to complete a sex offenders' rehabilitation programme and was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years following the incident in September.


http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/11/17/taxi-driver-repeatedly-groped-passenger-court-hears/?
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TYNESIDE

A company with a conscience has gone more than the extra mile in a display of outstanding customer service.

Northumberland holidaymaker Hazel Lindley returned from a holiday in Holland with a souvenir windmill.

However, ahead of her taxi ride home, the driver inadvertently placed something heavy on top of the ornament, and it broke.

But in an amazing display of customer service, the taxi firm sent the driver all the way to Holland and back for the sole purpose of getting Ms Lindley a replacement.

The grateful holidaymaker said the company had “made her day”.

Hazel, who lives at Felton, near Morpeth, travelled to Amsterdam for a short break, picking up the quirky wooden souvenir while there.

On arriving back in the North East, she booked a ride home with Tyneside based EastCoast Taxis.

But when the driver was packing her belongings into the car, he crushed the bag containing the windmill leaving it ruined, Hazel upset, and the driver embarrassed and apologetic.

When Tyneside based EastCoast Taxis’ managing director Paul Irwin heard about what had happened, he decided to put things right.

“With more than 200 taxis on the road carrying 70,000 passengers every week, we do expect the odd mishap, but at EastCoast, we like to look after our customers.

“We know that the souvenir windmill wasn’t expensive, but the fact is Hazel couldn’t get a replacement anywhere other than Amsterdam and that was the challenge.”

Paul sent the driver, Kevin Gregg, on a 48-hour mercy mission across the North Sea to locate a replacement wooden windmill.

This he managed to secure from the famous Bloemenmarkt, Dutch for flower market, in the heart of Amsterdam.

“I was delighted to find the windmill stall and bring a replacement back to the customer,” said Kevin. “I was devastated about the original and when Paul asked me to go to Amsterdam to find a replacement, I didn’t hesitate. It’s the most unusual taxi request I’ve ever had.”

The new windmill was presented to Hazel after being carefully wrapped up in protective bubble wrap for the long journey home.

“They really made my day,” she said. “I couldn’t believe the level of customer service they have shown. I’m sure other firms would simply have apologised and left it at that.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tyneside-taxi-driver-brings-back-8118294?