Gold Coast Uber driver sexually assaulted woman with doors locked

A GOLD Coast Uber driver sexually assaulted a drunk passenger with the car doors locked while parked for 27 minutes, the Southport District Court has heard.

A GOLD Coast Uber driver sexually assaulted a drunk passenger with the car doors locked while parked for 27 minutes, the Southport District Court has heard.

Satveer Singh, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault this morning.

The woman he assaulted told him: “You should not be doing this. You are an Uber driver, aren’t you?”

Singh, who was on a student visa from India, had his visa cancelled after he was charged and it is not clear if his visa will be reinstated.

He has spent a year in custody, including 300 days in immigration detention mostly on Christmas Island.

Judge David Kent sentenced Singh to a three year good behaviour bond.

He said he did so because Singh, due to his time in immigration detention, had already spent more time in custody than he would have been sentenced to.

Mr Kent said Singh had breached his position of trust.

“She was vulnerable, alone and alcohol effected and the circumstances between the two of you created a position of trust,” Mr Kent said.

The court heard the terrifying attack took place after the 20-year-old woman had been out drinking with friends on September 23, last year.

Throughout the more than two-hour long hearing Singh, wearing a dark blue jersey with a white collar, sat hunched over while the terrifying facts of the case were read to the court.

Crown prosecutor Michael Connelly said the woman was out in Surfers Paradise celebrating the end of a university semester when she called an Uber for a lift home.

Singh picked her up, taking her to near where the lived and sitting in a parking bay.

While parked Singh kissed the woman before locking the car doors.

“He leaned over and reclined her seat,” Mr Connelly said.

“She said words to the effect of ‘What is happening? You shouldn’t be doing this. You are an Uber driver aren’t you?’.”

Mr Connelly said Singh kissed her roughly, bitting her on the lip hard enough to cause bruises.

Singh then lifted the woman’s dress and sexually assaulted her, the court was told.

Mr Connelly said CCTV footage showed the car was parked in the parking bay for 27 minutes.

Singh only let the woman get out of the car after she gave him her phone number.

The court heard the woman started to walk home when she realised what had happened and sat on the ground crying.

A security guard her heard sobs.

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“He said she was rocking and sobbing at the same time. She made the complaint and said ‘I have been raped’,” Mr Connelly said.

Singh sent her text messages the next day, the court heard.

“Hi, how was you last night. I hope everything is good,” the text message read.

Another text was sent about three hours later.

“I think you forget about me,” the text said.

Mr Connelly said police spoke to Singh the next day who said it was “not possible” and he had only been parked for 10 minutes.

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Defence barrister Tony Kimmins, instructed by Moloney MacCallum Abdelshahied Lawyers, said Singh had grown up in India and moved to Australia to improve his skills in the hospitality industry.

“His arrest in Australia is a matter of great shame as far as he is concerned,” he said.

He was in the process of completing an advanced course when the sexual assault occurred.

Mr Kimmins said Singh may have had believed he had consent.

“There was a period of time after they pulled up and they were talking,” he said.

“There was never any violence as such, physical violence or threatening.”

Mr Kimmins said Singh had since had his visa revoked and had spent the past 300 days in immigration detention on Christmas Island.

A conviction was recorded.