Anas Wajid: Granville taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting drunk women
A taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting drunk women he met on the job says it was consensual. The court heard the alleged victim told the man how “horny” she was.
Central Sydney
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A taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting two drunk women on separate occasions says the acts were consensual, a court has heard.
Anas Wajid, 24, made a fresh bid for bail in Sydney District Court on Wednesday as a result of an April trial being scrapped after the judge fell ill causing a five-month delay until his case is heard.
The Granville man, who is well-known in the Sydney Pakistani community, was charged in September 2019 with sexual intercourse without consent and was released on bail just days later.
Wajid’s freedom was short-lived when a second woman came forward to police with similar allegations with his DNA linking him to the incident, the court heard. He was charged with sexual intercourse without consent and his bail was revoked.
Wajid’s barrister said consent would be the central issue at the trial, highlighting portions of a police statement where an alleged victim volunteered how “horny” she was.
“(The complainant) says she is in a very open and trusting relationship with her partner,” he said.
“She says she is feeling horny. She puts her head on his lap. She starts to rub the accused’s penis. She says that it feels good.”
The court heard how the other alleged victim told police in a statement she was an active participant in the “intimate sexual contact” and that she removed her own pants.
However, Judge Antony Townsden said the allegations by both women taken together present “a very strong case”, noting how both alleged incidents involved intoxicated women and as Wajid worked as a cab driver.
The Granville man was refused bail. The trial is listed to take place in September.
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