Overview
- A woman who thought she had hailed an Uber in Anfield entered a white Mercedes van and was driven to unfamiliar alleyways where the driver forced her to remove clothing while filming her.
- The victim made an abandoned 999 call and later contacted her partner, and police traced the call coordinates to locate the suspect at his home.
- Officers recovered the suspect’s phone and an in-car camera that showed footage of the incident and the passenger seat, which formed key evidence in the case.
- The Crown Prosecution Service authorised multiple charges and the defendant pleaded guilty to kidnapping and to causing a person to engage in sexual activity against their will while other charges were left on file.
- Liverpool Crown Court jailed the defendant for five years and six months and ordered seizure and destruction of his phones, with prosecutors saying the case underscores risks in trusting perceived ride-hailing drivers and the power of digital forensics in securing convictions.