‘Are you comfortable with this?’ What Uber driver from Finsbury Park asked passenger as he sexually assaulted her
Aliriza Kurt - Credit: Archant
A private hire driver asked a passenger who he was sexually assualting if she was “comfortable”.
Aliriza Kurt, 42, of Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, was jailed for 18 months after he was found guilty of the assault.
Kurt was working for private hire firm Uber and was allocated the 24-year-old’s fare just after 11pm on May 8 last year. He picked her up near Brixton Station. During the journey, Kurt leaned across and touched her, asking: “Are you comfortable with this?”
The woman managed to escape the car and called the police. Kurt was arrested hours later.
He was jailed at Inner London Crown Court yesterday, after a jury had found him guilty on January 6.
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Siwan Hayward, Transport for London’s (TfL) deputy director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “This victim’s bravery in reporting this offence to the police has helped put this sex offender behind bars, preventing him from preying on any other vulnerable women.
“Our TfL funded resources within the MPS cab enforcement unit work every week to apprehend those who commit cab related sexual offences, and we will continue to work with the police to push for the strongest convictions available to stop incidents like this happening again.
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“If you ever experience unwanted sexual behaviour, report it to the police. You will always be taken seriously and the incident will be fully investigated.”
Kurt also had his vehicle seized, was made to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, and is also the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for an indefinite period.
This will mean he can’t have females in any vehicle driven by him, except family, or apply to be a cab or private hire driver.
