A Litherland woman who sexually assaulted a taxi driver as he drove her home from the Cavern Quarter collapsed in court as she was spared a prison sentence. Emma Richards, 41, of Green Lane, burst into tears and fell to the floor when the judge told her he could not reduce her sentence beyond the minimum term.
The mum-of-four appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, October 14, having pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Richards initially denied the offence but changed her plea following a previous court hearing.
Assault captured on taxi CCTV
Judge Simon Medland KC said: "The evidence against her was frankly overwhelming because of the car CCTV footage."
The incident happened at around 8.50pm on June 12 this year. Prosecutor Ben Stanley said the taxi driver received a call to take Richards from Cumberland Street in the Cavern Quarter to Green Lane, and she got into the front passenger seat.
Shortly into the drive, Richards, who had been drinking heavily, made suggestive comments to the victim and said he "smelled nice". She then grabbed his left arm and leaned towards him, attempting to kiss him.
Victim describes lasting impact
The victim rebuffed her and told her to stay in her seat, but Richards again attempted to grab his arm and lean in towards him. Mr Stanley said: "A short time later, the defendant touched his groin, rubbing it with her right hand. He didn't tell her to stop because he was worried how she would react as they were trapped in the vehicle together, and this continued for a few minutes."
Richards pulled up her top and exposed her chest while rubbing the victim's groin and genitals. The incident lasted approximately four minutes, after which Richards left the vehicle. The victim drove off and parked his taxi around the corner, where he called the police.
In a statement, he said: "Before this happened I felt like I was a normal person living a normal life. I was comfortable meeting different people each day as that was my job. I regularly had to sit alone with passengers and I never thought of this as something I should be worried about."
He added: "I don't feel like the same person since the incident. I suffered from anxiety and nightmares. I still think about the incident when I'm trying to sleep. I never thought something like this would affect me so deeply."
Judge hands down community order
Matt O'Neill, defending Richards, said: "Her life has been very traumatic at times; (she has been) a victim of domestic abuse. The defendant told me she has attempted suicide previously. She's a woman who has lost her good character due to issues with alcohol." He asked the judge to make a community order, adding: "These offences were clearly committed while she was highly intoxicated."
Judge Menary said: "This has had a serious impact on the victim. It proves the point that sexual assault, whether committed by a woman or a man, on a woman or a man, is a very serious thing. Maybe the incident was only a few minutes, but often has a profound effect on the victim."
Richards cried as she was asked to stand to hear her sentence, which was an 18 month community order and a six month alcohol abstinence requirement. She fell to the floor and bawled loudly as she was told she would be a registered sex offender for a period of five years. She had to be escorted from the courtroom.
