Taxi driver who sexually assaulted teenage passengers sentenced to two years in prison – The Irish News

A taxi driver who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old passenger on her way home has been sentenced to prison at Derry Crown Court.

Paul Bryan (63), of The Bungalow, Newtowncunningham in Co Donegal, admitted two charges of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault on 22 October 2017.

Before passing sentence, Judge Neil Rafferty KC told the young woman that the defendant's guilty plea had completely vindicated her.

He read from her personal statement in which she said she was not a victim but a survivor.

In her statement, she said: “I was a victim for a few hours, but for seven years I have been a survivor.”

The judge also apologized for delaying the case and said he understood that it had “put your life on hold.”

He told the young woman that this was “a horrific incident that does not describe her.”

Regarding the facts of the case, the judge said that the young woman had travelled to Letterkenny with friends on 22 October 2017 and had consumed alcohol.

She had become separated from her friends and decided to take a taxi to return home to Derry.

She stopped a taxi in front of a nightclub.

On the way back, Bryan sexually abused the woman.

In his first interview, Bryan said there had been sexual activity but claimed it was consensual, but later admitted to the offenses.

Judge Rafferty said there were significant aggravating circumstances in the case, including the fact that Bryan was a taxi driver and that there had been a breach of trust as he had taken advantage of a young woman who was “extremely vulnerable due to her age and consumption of alcohol”.

He said the incident had had a “significant impact” on the young woman's life and that she had a right to expect she would be safe in a taxi.

He described the case as one of “high harm and high culpability” and sentenced Bryan to four years in prison, half of which he was to serve in custody and the other half on probation.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for a period of ten years and a sexual offences prevention order was imposed on him for the same period.