A ‘dangerous’ Erdington Rapist sexual predator, Thasawar Iqbal, masquerading as a taxi driver, targeted solitary women outside Birmingham nightclubs and became increasingly audacious following his initial arrest. Thasawar Iqbal now faces a potential 17-year prison sentence following his abduction and assault of two women.
A 41-year-old individual, Thasawar Iqbal, was apprehended and subsequently released on bail following the sexual assault of a vulnerable female in December 2021. However, this did not dissuade him, and his immoral conduct intensified when he targeted another solitary victim on July 22, whom he then raped many times in a pub parking lot. West Midlands Police stated that the attacks were both premeditated and opportunistic.
Today, the force expressed satisfaction that the ‘predatory’ sexual offender was removed from the streets. Judge Francis Laird determined that Iqbal was a ‘dangerous’ criminal who presented a risk of inflicting additional harm to the public and imposed an extra five-year licence period in addition to his prison sentence.
Sentencing him at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, May 26, he said: “I am sure, firstly, on both occasions you were driving in the city centre of Birmingham looking for vulnerable women. Secondly, your intent was to pose as a taxi driver in order to trick them into your car. Thirdly, in relation to your kidnap of the first victim your intention was to carry out a serious sexual offence.”
Thasawar Iqbal had ‘never previously committed a sex offence’ and his own defence barrister Colin McCarraher accepted he did not know what triggered his depraved actions, which he denied at a trial. The seemingly ‘normal’ married man approached the first victim who was rowing with her boyfriend.
Thasawar Iqbal drove her away under the ruse he was a private hire driver, and then consumed alcohol and cocaine during the journey. He kissed the woman and suggested they should have sex and film it. But she managed to escape when he stopped to buy more drugs.
While under investigation for that he struck a second time. He persuaded a lone woman walking along the A34 to let him give her a lift, which she accepted after initially refusing. But Thasawar Iqbal proceeded to drive her to a pub car park where he raped her multiple times.
Thasawar Iqbal only drove her home when she agreed to take his mobile phone number. Birmingham Crown Court heard both women suffered ‘terrifying ordeals’ and felt guilty for finding themselves in a position to be targeted.
Det Con Soniya Ram, from West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: “Thasawar Iqbal is a predatory sexual offender. Although an opportunist his actions were persistent and pre-planned, posing as a taxi driver to pick up young vulnerable women, driving them to locations of his choice and sexually abusing them. He put both women through such fear and sexual violence, completely disregarding the fact he was already being investigated when he committed further offences in July last year.
“The women endured traumatic ordeals but bravely came forward to recount what happened to them to help us apprehend him. With the help of the Crown Prosecution Service we remanded him in custody from July 2022 to prevent others becoming victims. Iqbal’s conviction is testament to both women’s courageous actions and, thankfully, he is now off the streets and will be behind bars for a long time.”
Thasawar Iqbal, of Birchdale Road, Erdington, was found guilty of two counts of kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and one offence of assault by penetration.
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