Taxi driver assaults drunk student in cab Friday, February 15, 2013 A taxi driver who sexually assaulted a student two years ago after she fell asleep in his cab will be sentenced at Limerick Circuit Court today. Abdul Mannan, aged 39 of Rhebogue Meadows, Limerick, a native of Bangladesh, denied assaulting the student in Limerick on Feb 7, 2011, when driving her home from a night out during Rag week. A jury found him guilty by a 11/1 majority verdict. In her evidence, the 19-year-old victim said she got into the accused manâs taxi at about 11pm outside Mollyâs bar on Ellen Street in Limerick. She had began socialising earlier in Scottâs bar near the college between 5pm and 6pm as part of Rag Week celebrations. She said she drank a naggin of vodka and two beers in Scottâs bar but did not buy any drinks when they went into Mollyâs Bar in town. The witness, now aged 21, said she left Mollyâs on her own as she was tired and sat into the front passenger seat of Mr Mannanâs taxi. After falling asleep, she believed she woke up about five or 10 minutes later, and knew she was not in town. The taxi was still moving but the accused man had two of his fingers in her vagina and his other hand on the steering wheel. She was shocked but tried to stay calm and told him to stop which he did âpretty much immediatelyâ. Mannan drove her back into town and left her out at the train station where she got another taxi home and contacted the gardaÃ. In Garda interviews, the accused man claimed the girl became aggressive when she woke up. He claimed in evidence that she produced a condom and told him he had to have sex with her. He told the jury of nine men and three women that he refused to have sex with her and that she forced him to put his two fingers in her vagina. When asked if he knew why the gardaà were at his house, he told them, âyes, the issue with the girlâ. He agreed he took his identity card from the dashboard and put it out of sight in the driverâs door pocket. However, he claimed he did this because he thought she would throw it out of the car. http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/taxi-driver-guilty-of-sex-assault-on-student-in-cab-222763.html