INVERNESS-SHIRE TAXI DRIVER FOUND GUILTY OF RAPING PASSENGER AFTER NIGHT OUT

A 49-year-old taxi driver has been taken into custody after a jury found him guilty of raping a young woman following a night out in Inverness.

David Brown, from Croy, attacked the 20-year-old victim in December 2023 after stopping his car in a field located between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the woman had been trying to get home to her village but did not have enough money for the journey.

The woman said that Brown agreed to run her home despite not having enough money to pay her fare.

She added: “He said that’s fine and that he would give me a lift anyway.”

However, during the drive, the woman noticed he was going the wrong way.

The victim described the terrifying moments when the assault began, testifying: “He put his hand down my top - my Puffa jacket was unzipped.

"He grabbed my left breast and said ‘oh you’ve been hiding this from me.’”

She told the court she was unable to move during the ordeal, stating: “I froze. I didn’t really have a reaction to it.”

Evidence presented during the trial detailed further sexual assaults, with the woman adding: “He put his hand down my trousers. He put his fingers into my vagina.”

Following the rape, Brown dropped the traumatised victim off in Dingwall in freezing minus four-degree temperatures.

While Brown claimed the encounter was consensual, the jury rejected his story after a three-day trial.

Judge Lord Renucci has ordered a background report on Brown, who remains in custody.

The case is set to return to court for further proceedings on May 15, 2026.

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