Emma Richards, 41, of Green Lane in Litherland, broke down in court after being spared jail for sexually assaulting a taxi driver. She appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on October 14, having pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
The mum-of-four initially denied the assault but changed her plea following a previous court hearing. Judge Simon Medland KC said: "The evidence against her was frankly overwhelming because of the car CCTV footage."
Assault details
The assault happened at around 8.50pm on June 12. 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 and said he "smelled nice". She grabbed his left arm and leaned towards him, attempting to kiss him. The victim rebuffed her and told her to stay in her seat, but she again attempted to grab his arm.
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 she left the vehicle. The victim drove off and parked his taxi around the corner, where he called the police.
Victim impact
In a statement, the taxi driver 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.
"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."
He said he tried to continue working after the incident but found he could not do it any more, and eventually had to stop working as a taxi driver. He said he suffered from anxiety and nightmares, and the assault had left him feeling "embarrassed" as he had been unable to have intimate relationships with women since it happened.
Sentence
Matt O'Neill, defending Richards, said her life had been "very traumatic at times" and she had been a victim of domestic abuse. He said she had attempted suicide previously and had 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, and had to be escorted from the courtroom.
