Cairns crime: Harmeet Singh sentenced for sexual assault of passenger in his cab

A Cairns taxi driver became depressed and had suicidal thoughts after being remanded in custody for a week – he learned his fate in Cairns District Court on Friday.

A SEXUAL assault by a Cairns taxi driver was “impulsive and opportunistic”, Cairns District Court Judge Paul Smith said on sentencing the man on Friday.

Harmeet Singh, 29, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a 34-year-old woman who was a passenger in his taxi on September 24, 2021.

Judge Smith acknowledged a custodial sentence would result in Singh being deported as he is not an Australian citizen, and that he had a job offer with Cairns telecommunications company.

Singh was remanded in custody to the Cairns watch house seven days ago and the court heard he had become extremely depressed, had suicidal thoughts and had been prescribed antidepressants.

Judge Smith said the woman went for dinner and then on to a bar and caught a cab home.

She discussed her difficulties with her former partner and with her child with Singh while she was in the cab, he said.

“You held out your hand and told her to take it easy,” Judge Smith said.

“She said ‘I love you’ a number of times, hugged you and kissed you on the cheek – she tried to pull away but you kissed her twice on the mouth, put your hand toward her inner thigh area and brushed her breast.”

The woman resisted and fled the cab, with Mr Singh pursuing her before she shut the door on him.

Judge Smith said he considered Singh’s letter of apology to be genuine.

He sentenced Singh to six months in prison, suspended immediately, and 18 months parole, and ordered that he pay $2000 restitution over eight months.

An earlier court hearing was told Singh had lost his job as a taxi driver and was working as a food delivery driver.

Defence barrister James Sheridan said remanding Singh in custody would ruin his marriage prospects and adversely affect him within the local Indian community.

“He is deeply embarrassed and this is overlaid with cultural shame,” Mr Sheridan said.

The court was shown CCTV of the incident.

“Please let me go, no, stop,” the woman repeatedly said.

But Mr Singh did not, and she said “hold on, let me open the door, give me two secs and I’ll give you an answer,” she said, fleeing the cab.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Harmeet Singh sentenced for sexual assault of passenger in his cab