A taxi driver who subjected a lone female customer to a ‘horrific ordeal’ completely abused the trust placed in him as a cabbie, detective said.

Welcoming the 10 year prison sentence handed to convicted rapist Asif Khan at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, Det Con Josie Cassidy said she hoped the jail term would bring some solace to the 37-year-old’s victim.

The officer said: “Khan was in a trusted occupation as licensed taxi driver in Oxford, and the victim should quite rightly have trusted him to get her to destination safely.

“However, Khan completely abused this trust, and raped his victim who was alone and therefore extremely vulnerable.

“This type of behaviour is utterly abhorrent, and when you consider the context of Khan’s job, it was a horrific ordeal for the victim in this case.”

She added: “The investigation was a lengthy one, and I would like to pay tribute to the victim for her courage and dignity while she had to re-live her ordeal in court while Khan denied the offence.

“He will now serve a lengthy prison sentence and will be on the sex offenders’ register for life, and clearly will never be able to serve as a licensed taxi driver again.

“I hope that this sentence will bring some solace to the victim and also to the local community that we will always thoroughly investigate such offences, believe victims, and bring offenders before the courts.”

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