UK
Bogus taxi driver jailed for raping woman on her way home from night out in Edinburgh
A bogus taxi driver who raped a woman on her way home from a night out has been jailed for seven years.
Mohamad Sabbagh, 40, was branded a “danger to women” for the attack in Edinburgh in May 2022.
A court heard how Sabbagh offered his victim and her friend a lift home following a night out in the Scottish capital.
Believing he was a genuine taxi driver, the women got into the car before one was dropped off at her home address.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said Sabbagh then drove his vulnerable victim to a secluded location and demanded she have sex with him.
He then climbed into the back of the car and raped her while she was intoxicated and incapable of giving or withholding consent.
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Detective Inspector Arthur McEwan said: “Sabbagh’s behaviour was abhorrent.
“The victim believed he was a taxi driver, and she would be taken to her destination safely but instead she was put through an extremely traumatic ordeal.
“She has shown tremendous strength during this case.”
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Sabbagh denied any wrongdoing but was earlier this month found guilty of rape following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Returning for sentencing on Wednesday, Sabbagh was jailed for seven years, added to the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and banned from contacting his victim.
Katrina Parkes, Scotland’s procurator fiscal for high court sexual offending, said: “Mohamad Sabbagh is a predatory individual who poses a danger to women.
“The bravery of his victim has resulted in this conviction, and he will now face the consequences of his depraved behaviour.”