Man jailed for sexually assaulting unconscious woman as taxi driver looked on

Omed Khalid Mahmood, 40 from Wigan, has been sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for sexually abusing an unconscious woman. Taxi driver Jojo Joseph Thirunilam, 49 from Warrington, has been sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for aiding and abetting him to sexually assault her.

Omed Mahmood approached numerous women outside a club in Warrington town centre in the early hours of Sunday 31 October 2021. When he had selected his target, he dragged the 18-year-old woman to Jojo Thirunilam's taxi.

As Thirunilam drove them from Warrington to Mahmood's home address in Atherton, the woman fell asleep soon after she got into the taxi and whilst she was unconscious and at her most vulnerable Mahmood sexually assaulted and attempted to rape her in the back seats, throughout the one hour journey, as Thirunilam looked on in his rear view mirror.

On reaching his home address, Mahmood waved off the taxi and carried the woman into his home where he continued to sexually assault and attempt to rape her as she slipped in and out of consciousness.

When she woke up she did not know where she was or how she got there. Seeing Mahmood was asleep she seized her opportunity to escape and fled to a nearby shop where she sought help.

Mahmood pleaded guilty to sexually abusing her in the taxi but denied further sexual offences at his home. Following a four day trial he was found guilty of those offences. Thirunilam pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Mahmood to commit the sexual offences which occurred in his taxi.

Craig Cleminson for the CPS said; "A vulnerable young woman was subjected to a prolonged sexual assault in the back of a taxi by a stranger and again in his home in this truly shocking case. Omed Mahmood showed predatory behaviour as he approached females outside a night club before focussing his attention on a young woman who was clearly intoxicated. Jojo Thirunilam not only did nothing to prevent him, he actively enabled him.

"We worked closely with the police to build a strong case against both men including collating a large amount of CCTV evidence from outside the club and inside the taxi which left both men to plead guilty to the offences committed in the taxi. After considering all the evidence against Mahmood the jury found him guilty of the offences in his home not captured on CCTV.

"I would like to commend this young woman for standing up to the man who abused her and the man who aided and abetted him to do so. Her immense strength is demonstrated in her Victim Impact statement where she said 'I will not let this vile man take away my spirit or ruin my life.' I sincerely hope that as both men begin their sentences that she can put this traumatic incident behind her and move on with her life."