WORBOYS FOUND GUILTY OF SEX ATTACKS
London’s taxi trade prides itself on being a safe means of transport and this driver has brought disrepute to the trade. Had the case been brought against an illegal minicab driver, the taxi trade press would have been full of reports of the dangers of getting into an unlicensed car, but no-one in the trade would ever have expected this behaviour from a licensed hackney driver. John Worboys was found guilty of 19 charges, including one count of rape and 4 sexual assaults on a number of women in London. Sentencing will take place at Croydon Crown Court on 21 April. The case has resulted in articles in the press, which meant more victims had come forward and now it is considered that Worboys is one of the most prevalent sex attackers this country has known. A total of 85 women have so far come forward and the police are expecting more allegations following the guilty verdicts at Croydon Crown Court on 13th March 2009. Police report that John Derek Worboys, 51, was a licensed hackney carriage driver of Sovereign Crescent, SE16. During his work as a cab driver, he would sometimes be hailed by the women, and on occasion would approach women and offer to give them lifts, sometimes for free or at a reduced rate. Once in the cab he would strike up a conversation with the women, telling them how he had either won the lottery or had a successful evening at the casino. He would often show a bag containing a quantity of money in the footwell of his driver’s compartment of his cab.
During the conversation he would offer the victim a drink to join him in celebrating his financial windfall. On other occasions he offered his victims what he purported were medicinal tablets if they were complaining of a headache/illness. A short while after either consuming the drink or taking the tablets, the women were rendered helpless, or violently sick. Some victims recalled him climbing into the back of the cab and an assault of a sexual nature taking place. Many have recollection throughout and were not assaulted at all, and others have no recollection. The following morning the victims would wake at their homes. Officers from Sapphire (part of the Safer Travel at Night campaign) linked the methodology of four of the incidents on 7 February 2008 which resulted in an investigation by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC), who identified one further assault with the same modus operandi. A media appeal was made on 15 February 2008 when further victims came forward to police. As the press, including editors from the taxi trade attended a press conference to help with an appeal to find the perpetrator of the crimes.
WORBOYS ARRESTED
When police searched Worboys’ home address, a quantity of prescription and non-prescription medication was seized. DI Dave Reid of HSCC, the officer in charge of the investigation said: ‘Worboys was a predatory sexual assailant who used his position of trust as a hackney cab driver to lure women into his cab and assault them. He presented a charming and affable countenance, all the while planning his assault and searching out women to prey on. I want to thank the women who came forward in this enquiry. I have listened to each of them as they have given evidence in court, and been struck by the integrity of every one. What they did was not easy, and I do not underestimate the extra burden they have endured as a result of Worboys’ refusal to accept responsibility for the horrendous acts he committed.