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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Wrongly accused man case reopened by North Wales Police | Wrongly accused man case reopened by North Wales Police |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police are to reopen a case into a taxi driver who sexually assaulted three women after the man initially convicted cleared his name. | Police are to reopen a case into a taxi driver who sexually assaulted three women after the man initially convicted cleared his name. |
| Mohammed Islam, 40, was found guilty of touching the women as he drove them home to north east Wales in his taxi. | Mohammed Islam, 40, was found guilty of touching the women as he drove them home to north east Wales in his taxi. |
| But he paid for an expert to enhance CCTV which prosecutors had claimed showed his taxi - and it proved he had not been at the scene. | But he paid for an expert to enhance CCTV which prosecutors had claimed showed his taxi - and it proved he had not been at the scene. |
| His convictions have been quashed and North Wales Police is reinvestigating. | His convictions have been quashed and North Wales Police is reinvestigating. |
| Mr Islam's lawyer Adam Antoszkiw claimed the crucial evidence was not properly examined by police because of financial constraints. | |
| The Chester-based taxi driver had faced being jailed after he was convicted at Flintshire magistrates' court last October. | |
| The prosecution had said the taxi had stopped at a McDonalds at Sealand Road, Chester, as it took the three women - in their early 20s - to their respective homes in north east Wales in the early hours of 7 September, 2013. | The prosecution had said the taxi had stopped at a McDonalds at Sealand Road, Chester, as it took the three women - in their early 20s - to their respective homes in north east Wales in the early hours of 7 September, 2013. |
| A still image from the CCTV was produced which they said was Mr Islam's taxi. | A still image from the CCTV was produced which they said was Mr Islam's taxi. |
| But pending an appeal, he paid for his lawyers to engage an expert who was able to enhance the CCTV - and that proved it was not his taxi after all. | But pending an appeal, he paid for his lawyers to engage an expert who was able to enhance the CCTV - and that proved it was not his taxi after all. |
| It was in fact a London style cab, not like his vehicle. | It was in fact a London style cab, not like his vehicle. |
| Mr Islam said he collapsed after he was cleared of the charges on Friday. | Mr Islam said he collapsed after he was cleared of the charges on Friday. |
| "You can see clearly on the CCTV that it's not my taxi. How could they make that mistake and destroy my nice life?" he told BBC Wales. | "You can see clearly on the CCTV that it's not my taxi. How could they make that mistake and destroy my nice life?" he told BBC Wales. |
| He said he had become ill after being branded a sex offender and stopped going to his local mosque - "I tried to disappear," he added. | He said he had become ill after being branded a sex offender and stopped going to his local mosque - "I tried to disappear," he added. |
| On what he would do next, Mr Islam said: "I am waiting for my [taxi] licence back from the council. I will be scared about going back. | On what he would do next, Mr Islam said: "I am waiting for my [taxi] licence back from the council. I will be scared about going back. |
| "I will put a CCTV camera in my cab if I go back to work." | "I will put a CCTV camera in my cab if I go back to work." |
| His wife Sajeda added: "I don't think we'll recover from this for a very long time." | His wife Sajeda added: "I don't think we'll recover from this for a very long time." |
| Det Insp Lee Boycott from North Wales Police said Mr Islam being cleared had "prompted a fresh look at the case and it will now be reopened". | Det Insp Lee Boycott from North Wales Police said Mr Islam being cleared had "prompted a fresh look at the case and it will now be reopened". |
| He added he could not comment further because the case is ongoing. |