A taxi driver who sexually assaulted his passenger after she fell asleep in the back of his car has been jailed.
Lucel Tugui performed a series of vile acts on the woman, driving past her home and taking her to a remote location. CCTV recording from inside his vehicle captured the 'devious predator' bragging that his victim 'has no clue what happened' after dropping her back home.
A trial at Liverpool Crown Court, prosecuted by Paul Becker, previously heard that she had attended a friend's birthday party at a property in Liverpool city centre on the evening of Sunday, July 31, last year. But she "drank too much too quickly and became very drunk", being called a taxi as others moved onwards to nearby bars.
The young woman in her 20s was helped into Tugui's taxi at around 1.30am on August 1 "in a very vulnerable position and obviously sick". But while her journey home should have taken under half an hour to complete, she did not arrive until nearly an hour-and-a-half later, reports the ECHO.
The Delta driver had instead continued past her address after she had fallen asleep and taken her to a "secluded location" in Knowsley. There, Tugui - of Maureen Walk in Fazakerley - stopped his car and switched off his engine and was then caught on camera, in what was described as "extremely disturbing" video footage, performing sex acts on the complainant and forcing her to perform a sex act.
She later told police that she had woken up during the 33-year-old's attack but kept her eyes shut and did not move out of fear. The woman believed she was going to be raped and thought he would kill her if she stopped him.
After eventually dropping her at home, the Romanian national was captured "smugly" saying "she has no clue what happened to her" in his native tongue. Tugui, who was assisted by an interpreter in court, later claimed he had merely been "trying to wake her" for 20 minutes in the back of the taxi.
The victim bravely read out a statement to the court as Tugui was sentenced on Tuesday (February 22). In it, she described how she now suffers from panic attacks and nightmares in which she is "trapped in a car and can't get out" before being driven away as others watch on.
The woman added: "My life has completely changed. I was a bubbly, affectionate, loving person - now I feel somewhat withdrawn from my normal self. I almost have no confidence in going out by myself. I don't want to feel this way, but I can't help it - every day has been a struggle.
"I feel like there is a cloud over my head preventing me from being truly happy. I struggle to process what happened. I wonder if he has done this to anyone else. This is something I may never have answered, as are other questions such as how the taxi company he was working for actually vetted this person - could this have been prevented if he had been checked?
"I feel violated. I feel disgusted. What would have happened if he had never been caught? Would he have done it to someone else? I will never understand why he has done this to me and I don't know how to feel normal any more. I feel this man is a danger to woman and girls."
Tugui has no previous convictions. Bernice Campbell, defending, told the court: "He was a man of good character, not only here but in Romania. The defendant still believes what he said to the jury was correct. He is sorry that the victim has felt pain.
"It was impulsive, reckless and opportunistic rather than pre-meditated. He is an intelligent man and has a degree, and was working as a taxi driver to improve his English. He is going to get a long sentence without a shadow of a doubt. He knows that."
Tugui admitted causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault by a jury last month. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 12 years.
Sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings KC described him as "devious and predatory" and said: "This is a class of case which generates extreme public concern. You are someone who could swear that night was day and do it glibly and plausibly. You knew exactly what condition she was in. You put forward an absurd account which I will not dignify with repetition.
"I am quite satisfied that you were aware from the outset that she was in a vulnerable condition, and you decided to take advantage of that. She was a young woman who found herself in an impossible situation, not knowing where was and knowing she could not run or fight you off."
Tugui was also handed a restraining order, preventing him from contacting his victim for life. Judge Cummings imposed a lifelong sexual harm prevention order - the condition of which include a ban from working as a taxi driver - and told him to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
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