DUBAI// A taxi driver who was convicted of attempted rape after forcing his way into an Irish woman’s flat has had his three-year-jail term upheld by the Dubai Court of Appeal.

At both Criminal and Appeal Courts Bangladeshi T K, 26, denied attempting to rape the woman and claimed she invited him in. But he was convicted of attempted rape, theft and issuing threats and was sentenced to three years in jail in July.

“She is a regular customer, I dropped her home then noticed she had forgotten money in my cab so I returned to give it to her. She invited me into her flat and asked me to massage her shoulders, she was drunk at the time and started insulting me so we argued and she gave me Dh200 after which I left,” T K said.

The victim denied his story and said the first time she had ever taken his taxi was on the day of the incident, on February 1 this year.

“I was leaving a cafe along with my friend at nearly 4am and took his cab, he dropped my friend first then continued to Al Warqa area where I live. On the way he started chatting with me and asking me where I was from and what was my name,” said M L, 40, a teacher.

After dropping her off, he asked her to exchange mobile numbers so she could call him if she needed a taxi. “About 20 minutes later he called and said I forgot money in his taxi. I said I didn’t and checked my purse and no money was missing, but he insisted and said he was coming back to give it to me,” added the teacher.

ML told him to give it to the building security guard but he did not. He went to her flat and forced his way in when she tried to shut the door.

“He gave me Dh50 he said I forgot then asked me for water, he then locked the door and told me I looked like his mother who is really beautiful, he told me to call him son.

M L said she told he that he was crazy and should leave but he pushed her to the floor.

She recalled that he repeatedly asked her to call him son and she did so in fear. He then took her to the bedroom shoving her all the way there, took money from her purse then pushed her to the bed and tried to rape her.

“I resisted and pulled his hair then ran to the bathroom but he caught up and pushed me so I fell hitting my head on the bathtub,” M L said.

The defendant tried again to rape her in the bathroom but she resisted and pulled his hair then ran to the living room where she managed to force him to leave.

She said he threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident. She called her friend who advised her to contact police.

Policeman K A said the taxi driver was arrested shortly after and police found lipstick and make-up on his shirt.

T K will be deported after completing his jail term.

salamir@thenational.ae