Fake Uber driver exploited women’s ‘vulnerability and humanity’

A fake Uber driver has been jailed for sexually assaulting five women and taking advantage of their ‘vulnerability and humanity’.

A fake Uber driver who lured five women into his car then sexually assaulted them and exploited their “vulnerability and humanity” has been jailed.

Sampath Sandaruwan Samaranayake, 44, coaxed the women into his SUV under the pretence that he was an Uber driver then forced them to touch his penis and “excess skin”.

Samaranayake was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court to three years’ jail for sexually assaulting and detaining the women in his car after he picked them up from Fortitude Valley in September 2018.

During his trial, each of the victims gave almost identical evidence describing how Samaranayake had told them how he was single, lonely and had issues with excess skin after losing weight before forcing them to touch him.

Sampath Samaranayake was sentenced to three years’ jail. Picture: Annette Dew

He locked some of the women in his car as he touched their breasts, made one passenger masturbate him until he ejaculated and told another to “make him feel good”.

“He has deliberately prowled the Fortitude Valley area in the early hours of the mornings and late at night to target young women,” Prosecutor Sandra Cupina said.

“He has deliberately exploited both the vulnerability and their humanity of young women in order to obtain sexual gratification.”

Barrister Peter Nolan argued that the spiel about his weight loss was “a bit odd” but it was not part of a plot to exploit the women.

“In my submission you ought not find he did this as a kind of ruse, rather he had a genuine problem,” Mr Nolan said.

Samaranayake, a married man who was born in Sri Lanka, was employed as a chef at Mansfield Tavern and had applied to become an Uber driver because he had “financial troubles”.

But his application was rejected because his 2007 Land Rover was too old to be registered under the rideshare company’s minimum vehicle requirements.

Samaranayake was found guilty of nine counts of sexual assault, four counts of deprivation of liberty, two counts of indecent acts and three counts of common assault.

Ms Cupina told the court Samaranayake had shown no remorse and seemed “to blame the women because he feels unfairly treated”.

The court heard he had a history of sexual offending and was sentenced to 12 months’ probation in 2010 after being found guilty of indecent treatment of a child.

Ms Cupina said he was working as a delivery driver in Victoria when he lured a 15-year-old girl into his van then told her he had a “small penis” and forced her to hold his hand while he masturbated.

Judge Tony Moynihan QC said his latest offending had a “substantial and devastating effect” on the five women who suffer recurring nightmares and have had to move form Brisbane to avoid triggers.

“This would have been a terrifying experience for each of the complainants,” he said.

“They have had to endure the additional trauma of having to give evidence of it.”

Samaranayake was sentenced to three years’ jail and will be eligible for parole after serving half the term behind bars.

He is expected to be deported after release.