Serial sex offender convicted after assaulting Birmingham student in his taxi

Lily Wright has waived her anonymity

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A 22-year-old has spoken out after she was sexually assaulted by a cabbie on her way home from a night out.

Lily Wright, who is at a university in Birmingham, was abused in 2012 but has waved her anonymity after he was jailed for five and a half years.

She had got a taxi with her friend, but after her friend was dropped off, father of three Mohammed Iqbal drove Lily to a secluded woodland and sexually assaulted her.

He then drove her home, demanding a £50 fare.

Lily said the assault left her “paralysed with fear”.

She said: “I moved into the front passenger seat so I could give the driver directions to my house.

“Five minutes on, we were on a pitch black, quiet, country road.

“Confused and scared, I sat in silence, no idea why we’d stopped. All I could do was panic.”

Iqbal then walked round to the passenger side of the car and grabbed Lily’s trousers.

Lily added: “He began to tug on them, but I held them tight, trying to pull them up.

“I begged him to take me home. I was crying and squirming around in my seat.”

After all of Lily’s struggles, the taxi driver performed a sexual act on her.

Lily continued: “It was disgusting and the whole time I was convinced he was going to kill me. I just thought he’s going to rape me.

“I was hysterical and asked him what he was going to do to me. He smirked back at me, making my stomach lurch.”

Lily begged Iqbal to drive her back home, but the attacker told her he would only do it for £50.

“After what he’d just done to me, I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to charge me.

“I knew it should only cost around £20 and I didn’t have the money but I was desperate to get home. So I told him I did.

“As soon as I saw my house I didn’t wait for him to stop, I opened the car door and fled. I was running for my life.”

Lily’s dad Tom Wright, found his terrified daughter on the front door step.

Her dad and Lily’s sister, Elizabeth, tried their best to keep her calm.

“They asked me to change out my jeans and top, and bag them up as evidence. I had to give them my underwear so they could examine it. ”

Seven days later, Lily received a phone call from the police.

At Guildford Crown Court in September 2012, Iqbal pleaded not guilty to two separate sex attacks. One on Lily, and another on a second woman in his taxi.

“The next day police revealed the court had presented the evidence, and my attacker had changed his plea to guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnap.

“I was so relieved I wouldn’t have to return to court.”

Mohammed was jailed for five and a half years in October 2012.

Lily said: “I believe women should trust taxi drivers, and take a taxi rather than walking home alone at night.

“But they should book a registered taxi rather than waving one down the street. You’re putting your safety in their hands. And I learnt my lesson the hard way.”