Taxi driver guilty of sex assault

A taxi driver who on Wednesday was found guilty of grievous sexual assault on a schoolgirl, 13 years ago, will know on March 16 the sentence a High Court judge will impose on him.

Harphis Mohammed, 65, of Marabella, was on trial in the San Fernando High Court for kidnapping and grievous sexual assault on the girl on the morning of December 12, 2007, in Marabella.

The girl testified that she boarded Mohammed’s taxi in Marabella at about 10 am to be taken a short distance away. Instead, Mohammed took her to the nearby Tropical Plaza carpark where he assaulted her. A jury of nine members and Justice Carla Brown-Antoine, heard from the girl how she tried to escape.

She testified that she raised an alarm and people went to her assistance. Police arrived and Mohammed was arrested. Attorneys Veona Neale-Munroe and Victoria Manun prosecuted while Subhas Panday defended Mohammed. The man testified in his defence and denied the allegations, saying the charges were fabricated.

The jury took the mandatory three hours to deliberate but was unable to arrive at a unanimous verdict. The judge gave them an hour again and then in a majority verdict of 8-1, they found Mohammed guilty of grievous sexual assault. The foreman announced that the panel could not agree on a majority verdict in respect to the charge of kidnapping. As a result, Brown-Antoine ordered a retrial.

She remanded Mohammed into custody to reappear on March 16 when it is expected that the court will be furnished with a probation officer’s report.