A passenger woke up in the back of a taxi to find an Uber driver kissing her neck and putting his hand up her skirt, a court heard.
Najamulhassan Qureshi, 35, allegedly climbed into the back seat with the 22-year-old woman and assaulted her.
When she came too, she first thought it was her boyfriend and asked him ‘What are you doing, baby?’ and ‘Why are you speaking in an Asian accent?’, it is claimed.
The alleged victim eventually realised what was happening and managed to escape from the car parked near her home in the Isle of Dogs in east London.
A passenger woke up in the back of a taxi to find an Uber driver kissing her neck and putting his hand up her skirt, a court heard (file photo)
Qureshi later denied sexually assaulting the woman and claimed that she got ‘very angry’ when he sneezed on her mobile phone.
The Old Bailey heard the woman had enjoyed a night out drinking cocktails with her boyfriend in Islington, north London, on January 22 this year.
They ended up going to a late-night diner and appeared to be ‘somewhat intoxicated’, jurors were told.
She decided not to go back to her boyfriend’s home because he was staying with his parents that night and booked an Uber to her home at around midnight.
Prosecutor David Povall said: ‘There is no dispute that the Uber that arrived was a black Ford driven by Mr Qureshi.
‘She got into the back of the car and very quickly fell asleep.
‘It was some time later that she became aware there was somebody next to her kissing her neck and his hand was under her skirt.
‘She was confused. Her first thought was that person was her boyfriend and she responded by saying “What are you doing””
Najamulhassan Qureshi, 35, allegedly climbed into the back seat with the 22-year-old woman and assaulted her, the Old Bailey heard
‘When she heard the response in an Asian accent it took her some time to work out what was happening.’
Once she had got out of the car she realised it was parked close to her home and ran to the front door.
The alleged victim called police and gave a statement the next day.
When Qureshi was questioned by police he told officers that she alternated between abusing him and trying to climb into the front seat during the journey.
He claimed that when he arrived at the destination she wanted to hug him and refused to be taken inside.
‘He said she dropped her phone and he picked it up and sneezed. She called him a motherf***er and she got very angry,’ said Mr Povall.
‘He said he had not got into the back seat and he did not sexually assault her.’
Qureshi, of Hounslow, west London, denies assault by penetration.
The trial continues.
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