A man who kidnapped, raped and robbed a woman who mistakenly got into his car after he posed as her Uber driver has been jailed.
Mohammed Awais, 28, from London, England, has been sentenced to nine years and four months after previously admitting to rape, assault by penetration, kidnap, robbery and driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how on 12:30 a.m. on October 20, the 28-year-old victim called for an Uber to pick her up following a night out with friends in the Dalston area of the English capital.
Awais, who was driving a white Toyota Auris, then arrived at her location by coincidence. Police said he “acted as an imposter” to convince the woman he was her driver, and she got into the back his car.
The woman voiced her suspicion that he was not her intended driver when it appeared that he did not know where he was going. Awais then locked to car doors and sped away to a dimly lit alleyway and raped her, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
After the attack, Awais robbed the victim of her phone, money and laptop before ordering her to get out the vehicle.
The woman then fled the scene before hiding in a residential garden to ensure Awais wasn’t following her. She was able to alert two people walking on the street, who called the police.
Awais was arrested on October 24 after being identified as the driver of the Toyota by another man questioned as part of the investigation.
Forensic evidence also linked him to the attack, and he was identified by a witness at an ID parade.
Following his sentencing, detective superintendent Emma Matthews, who led the investigation, said in a statement: “It was established the legitimate Uber vehicle the victim had booked had been cancelled without her realizing.
“Awais, who had never worked as an Uber driver, arrived at the location purely by chance and, spotting a lone female, acted as an imposter to get her into his vehicle before carrying out his despicable attack.
