A Blackburn man who pretended to be a taxi driver so he could lure women into his car and rape them, has been jailed.
Nazim Asmal (35) of no fixed address but formerly Balaclava Street, appeared at Preston Crown Court in November, where he pleaded guilty to four counts of rape.
Judge Heather Lloyd deemed Asmal to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him to 17 years in custody with a further five years on extended licence. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Asmal lured women into his vehicle as they made their way home from nights out by leading them to believe he was a taxi driver. He then drove them to remote locations before subjecting them to serious sexual assaults.
The first incident happened on October 3, 2021. The victim got into Asmal’s car in Preston city centre. He drove for about ten minutes, raped his victim in the car and then dropped her off back in the city centre. She flagged a member of the public down for help.
On March 4, 2023, a second victim had been on a night out in Darwen and ended up in Asmal’s car. He drove her to a secluded area on the outskirts of Darwen where he then raped her. Asmal managed to get the victims phone number and called her at the start of April. She did not answer the call on that occasion because it came up with ‘no caller ID’.
The third victim got into Asmal’s car in Darwen town centre. Driving her towards Bolton, in the opposite direction of her home, Asmal said: “You don’t want to pay for this taxi, do you? He stopped in a secluded area and raped her. He then dropped her off at her home address.
Police identified Asmal after his black Toyota Yaris was picked up on CCTV cameras.
In a statement to the court the first victim said: “Although this incident happened to me nearly two years ago, I still live with many of the psychological and emotional impacts, honestly, I believe that my life was changed forever that night. My old life was shattered, and it has been a constant struggle that I don’t think I will ever fully recover from.
“I really struggle with being out late at night or when it’s dark as I feel so scared at the prospect of being attacked. This has been quite debilitating at times as I have had to avoid social interactions for fear of my journey home alone and even has prevented me walking my dogs at night right by my house.”
The second victim said: “When I go out with my friends I usually drive and don’t drink. I don’t like getting in taxis alone anymore. My lifestyle has had to change which changes the dynamic of my relationships.”
DS Alex Rawsthorn said: “Asmal deliberately targeted his victims because of their vulnerable state and subjected them to serious sexual harm. Although the headlines will quite rightly focus on Asmal’s abhorrent defending, my thoughts are very much with the victims who have been profoundly impacted by his appalling offending. As reflected in their harrowing victim impact statements, all three continue to live with the aftereffects of what Asmal did to them.
“If you or somebody you know has been the victim of a sexual offence I would encourage you to contact the police knowing you will be listened to, believed and that we will do everything we can to put the perpetrator before the courts.”
