A mother of four broke down and collapsed in court after learning she would be placed on the sex offenders' register for five years for sexually assaulting a taxi driver. Emma Richards, 41, from Green Lane in Litherland, Merseyside, was spared jail when she appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting sexual assault. She had initially denied the offence but changed her plea following an earlier hearing.
Assault caught on CCTV
Judge Simon Medland KC said the case against Richards was compelling, telling the court: "The evidence against her was frankly overwhelming because of the car CCTV footage." The incident unfolded on June 12 this year, when Richards booked a taxi from Cumberland Street in Liverpool's Cavern Quarter to Green Lane at around 8.50pm. She sat in the front passenger seat.
Prosecutor Ben Stanley explained that Richards had been drinking heavily during the journey. She began making suggestive remarks to the driver, telling him he "smelled nice", before grabbing his left arm and leaning towards him in an attempt to kiss him. The driver rejected her advances and instructed her to remain in her seat. However, Richards continued trying to grab his arm and move towards him.
Driver's ordeal
Mr Stanley told the court: "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 then lifted her top, exposing her chest, while continuing to touch the driver's groin and genitals. The assault lasted around four minutes before she got out of the taxi. The driver subsequently drove away and parked around the corner, where he contacted police.
In a victim impact statement, the driver explained how the incident had fundamentally changed his sense of safety and affected his ability to continue working. 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... I don't feel like the same person since the incident."
He continued: "Since this happened, that feeling of safety has gone. Being in a confined space with a woman makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel nervous even when there's no reason to be. This is difficult as I can't avoid these situations. Picking up passengers is how I earn my living. I tried to continue working after the incident as I wanted to carry on with my normal life. I found I couldn't do it any more, the anxiety I felt became too much for me and eventually I had to stop working (as a taxi driver)."
Defence and sentencing
The victim also spoke about suffering from anxiety and nightmares, explaining that memories of the assault continued to trouble him when he tried to sleep. He said: "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." He added that the experience had left him feeling "embarrassed" and had affected his ability to pursue intimate relationships with women.
Defending Richards, Matt O'Neill told the court that his client had experienced significant difficulties throughout her life, including domestic abuse and previous mental health struggles. He 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." Mr O'Neill urged the judge to impose a community-based sentence rather than send Richards to prison, arguing that her actions had occurred while she was heavily 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." He also recognised Richards' mental health difficulties but stressed that they had to be considered alongside the impact of her actions.
