SHAME SHAME


‘CALCULATING’ SEXUAL PREDATORS JAILED FOR BRISTOL GUEST HOUSE RAPE OF VULNERABLE WOMAN


Two men have been sentenced to a combined 17 years in prison following the “planned attack” of a vulnerable woman at a Bristol guest house in 2019. Riaz Muhammed, 51, and Muhammed Zahid, 46, were both found guilty of rape following an eight-day trial at Bristol Crown Court. The court heard that Riaz Muhammed, an Uber driver, picked up the victim and drove her to a guest house he selected, where he then arranged for Zahid to join him. The victim was subsequently raped


while she was unconscious. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against both defendants. Riaz Muhammed was sentenced to nine years in prison and Muham- med Zahid to eight years in prison.


Investigating officers DC Laurence Castle and DC Saoirse Moore described the pair as “calculating sexual predators who preyed on a vulnerable victim, hoping she would not have the strength to come forward.” The detectives highlighted the breach of trust involved, noting the victim believed the men “were taking her to a place of safety,” instead, she was forced to endure significant trauma, adding: “The victim has shown extra- ordinary resilience


despite the distress she was forced to endure.”


SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTS ROCK UK’S “TAXI CAPITAL”WOLVERHAMPTON


Wolverhampton, dubbed the “taxi capital” of the UK due to licensing nearly 33,900 PHVs - 96% of which operate outside the city - has revealed 17 reports of alleged sexual assault or rape against its licensed drivers within a three-month period. The figures, obtained via a FOI request submitted by London black cab driver, Mark White, and reported by the BBC, covered the period between August 11 and November 11. Nine of the 17 alleged assaults related to passengers. A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council defended the city’s licensing regime, stating the rate of reports against their drivers was lower than many other licensing authorities. They stressed that “Safeguarding is our number one priority in taxi licensing, and we adhere to all standards as set by government.” Addressing the allegations, the


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council spokesperson added: “None of these drivers had a criminal conviction on their records when their licence was issued. Once aware of the allegations, we ensured all drivers surrendered their licence in one working day. “Our policy is not to grant licences to anyone with a sexual offence or on a barred list. Our application process includes vigorous checks, and we are the only licensing authority to carry out daily DBS checks on all of our drivers.” Mark White raised serious concerns about Wolverhampton- licensed drivers operating in other areas, fearing safety checks might be missed and vehicles could be unsafe. “I’ve seen shocking images, of tyres being worn out, of drivers not getting checked because they’re not in the area,” he said, adding: “This situation is untenable for passengers, for legitimate drivers,


and for licensing authorities trying to maintain safety standards.” The council responded by detailing its proactive enforce- ment, stating: “We undertake compliance operations through- out the year, across the country... Officers are equipped with laser tyre-tread readers to tackle illegal tyres, as well as infra-red cameras to detect ghost plates.” Mr. White called the situation “a real national scandal,” fearing any cap on PHVs in London would lead drivers to “shut up shop, operate outside London and drive in.” Wolverhampton council’s Chief Operating Officer, David Pattison, explained the high popularity was due to an “efficient system” and competitive fees and strongly rejected the suggestion of lower standards, stating: “Our standards for fit and proper are stronger than the DfT’s guidance.”


JANUARY 2026 PHTM


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