Two taxi drivers jailed for separate sex assaults on female passengers
Eimear Dodd
A woman who was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver has told a court she would “have been safer walking home alone in the dark”.
A victim impact statement was read to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday on the woman's behalf during the sentence hearing of Samir Lakhlef (53).
The woman said she was “always told to be careful around men” as a young woman and advised to take steps to be safe, including minding her drink.
She said she chose to take a taxi to get home safely and had “trusted this driver to get me home safe.”
“On this occasion, I would have been safer walking home alone in the dark”.
Lakhlef (53) of Ballyogan Drive, Carrickmines, Dublin 18, pleaded guilty to sexual assault on February 13th, 2022. He has several previous convictions, including one for sexual assault for which he received a two-month suspended sentence at the District Court in 2021.
Imposing a three-year sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said Lakhlef, as a taxi driver, was in a position of trust, which was aggravating and that Lakhlef took advantage of the victim, who was intoxicated.
An investigating garda gave evidence that the woman in her 20s had been out socialising and had some drinks on February 12th, 2022.
She remembered leaving a pub, then her next memory was being in the back of a car, which she knew was a taxi because she saw the meter.
The court heard the victim must have been picked up off the street but has no recollection of this. She didn't book a taxi using any app, when she checked her phone following this incident.
The woman said she woke up in the taxi and felt something touch her leg. She noticed the taxi driver was rubbing her thigh.
She sat up and the taxi driver looked at her, then stopped rubbing her thigh. She saw the fare on the meter was €31.
The taxi continued driving and she directed him towards her address. However, she made a slight mistake, telling him to turn down a cul-de-sac and she then said her house was there.
She searched for money to pay the fare and gave him a €20 note, which the driver pointed to on the floor. The woman got out of the car and walked towards the front door of a nearby house, pretending it was her home.
As the taxi turned and drove away, she hid. The woman then called her mother before walking out of the cul-de-sac. A woman on the street offered her assistance as she was in a distressed state.
Defence counsel outlined that Lakhlef no longer drives a taxi but has continued to work to support his family.
He is married with three children and a letter was handed to the court from his wife. Lakhlef came to Ireland from Algeria in 1995 and is an Irish citizen.
Former professional footballer
Meanwhile, a former professional footballer and taxi driver has been jailed for two and a half years for the sexual assault of a college student at Bull Island in Dublin.
Micheal Keane (42) of Blackhorse Grove, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to sexual assault in November 2023.
Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday that Keane played football at a high level for the British club Preston North End before returning to Ireland in 2015.
The victim had been socialising with friends and had taken some drinks. She decided to get a taxi from Dublin City Centre and was picked up by Keane.
At some point during the journey, she realised the taxi had significantly detoured and was stopping at Bull Island, where Keane sexually assaulted her.
After the incident, he dropped her home and asked her to pay a fare of €77.77, which she did to get away from him.
Keane initially denied the allegation when interviewed by gardaí, claiming the taxi detoured to Bull Island because the woman was looking for a party, but later pleaded guilty.
In an impact statement, the victim said, “like any other young woman I trusted getting a taxi home would be the safest option”, adding that events that night “proved how wrong I was”.
She said she still remembered the way her stomach dropped when she realised the taxi was stopping at Bull Island and “fear rolled over me when I realised, I was in the middle of nowhere” and trapped.
She said she felt “absolutely terrified”, powerless and didn't know what would happen next. She described feeling “completely at this man’s mercy in this isolated place”.
She said no one should face that sense of fear or have their trust broken in that way, adding that it is “disgusting how a woman can be in a vulnerable position and the first thought of this man, and others can be to take advantage”.
Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said it was aggravating that Keane was working as a taxi man and the victim was in a vulnerable position.
“People who use taxis are entitled to trust taxi drivers, thankfully most very trustworthy,” the judge said.
He noted that the woman was in a vulnerable position and had taken some drink. “That’s no criticism of her; people are entitled to be happy and to have a good night out,” the judge said, commending the woman for striking Keane.
Student
The investigating garda told Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, that the then 20-year-old victim was in college and had been socialising in Dublin City Centre.
She had been drinking but was still aware of events taking place that night. She decided to go home after losing her friends and hailed a taxi, which was being driven by Keane.
The taxi drove off, and there was some friendly chat between Keane and the woman.
She was on her phone, and at some point became aware that the car had arrived at Bull Island – some considerable distance from her home. Keane stopped the taxi and got into the back, beside the woman.
He didn't say anything and she asked him “What are you at?” He then proceeded to sexually assault her by placing his hand up her skirt and touching her vagina outside of her underwear.
The woman jumped forward and tried to open the car door but couldn't. Keane's hand was still on her leg, and she struck him on the face.
Keane said nothing but pulled away after she hit him, then moved in towards her. The woman told him to 'f off' and that she wanted to go home. He then got out of the back of the car and took her home.
In the prepared statement, Keane denied the allegation of sexual assault and claimed the detour to Bull Island was because the woman asked him to drive around looking for a party.
Keane has two previous convictions from the UK for theft and assault causing actual bodily harm, which date back to 2007.
The court heard that after being charged, he lost his taxi licence and will not get it back because of his conviction.
