SHAME SHAME
UBER DRIVER TO BE JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF TEEN PASSENGER IN GLASGOW
An Uber driver in Glasgow, Dawitt Tessema, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a “very drunk” 19-year-old girl in the back of his vehicle and has been remanded in custody. The 45-year-old was convicted after a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The court heard that in the early hours of September 15, 2023, Tessema picked up the victim and parked his car before getting in the back seat and sexually assaulting her. A prosecutor told jurors: “He put his hand through the centre console and tried to touch her on
the body and leg but could not reach. He then went in the back of the car and touched her under her pants that were still on.”
After the victim reported the incident to Uber, Tessema texted her, saying: “I’m really sorry, please forgive me, please, please.” When arrested, he told police: “I have to stop, I made a big mistake.” Sheriff John McCormick told Tessema that a “custodial sentence is inevitable,” adding: “You accepted the trust of a passenger in your vehicle. There, you had a 19- year-old female who had drunk alcohol to excess. “You took advantage of her in the confines of your taxi which was a gross breach of trust.” Tessema has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL BANS CABBIE OVER TERRIFYING INCIDENT WITH VULNERABLE GIRL
A taxi driver has been banned from all Nottinghamshire County Council jobs following a “terrifying” safeguarding incident involving a 13-year-old girl with special needs. The girl, Lottie Turner, was a passenger in an A1 Cars taxi on Wednesday, September 10, when the driver made an unauthorised stop to
pick up a second,
“vulnerable” man. Lottie’s mother, Angela Turner, 44, was tracking the journey via an app and noticed the car was going in the wrong direction. The teenager, who is neurodiverse and has specific health conditions, requires private transport, and her family had been assured she would be travelling alone. “Lottie messaged me to
say PHTM OCTOBER 2025
another man was in the taxi and she was scared,” Angela said. A sound recording Lottie made inside the vehicle seems to capture the two men “seemingly fighting.” Terrified for her daughter’s safety, Angela called the taxi company, the owner was very rude, shouted at her and accused her of lying. The second man then exited the car, and Lottie was taken home. “She was shaking when she came in, she was crying and she was upset,” Angela explained, adding that Lottie “doesn’t feel safe anymore now.” A spokesman for A1 Cars con- firmed the driver, who is licensed by the City of Wolverhampton, was immediately suspended. He admitted the driver “should
have dropped off Lottie first and then pick up the other man,” calling it an “unforgivable” mistake. The spokesman also claimed the other man was a student picked up to “save time.” In response to the incident, Derek Higton, executive director for Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, announced that the council has terminated its contract with A1 Cars. “We have also taken steps to ensure that the driver involved in this incident will no longer work on any Nottinghamshire County Council contracts,” he stated. A new transport provider has been arranged for the family, and the incident has been reported to the appropriate authorities.
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