Arfan Ali denies engaging in sexual activity without consent

A taxi driver accused of engaging in sexual activity with a female passenger claimed in a phone call to her days later that he ‘got her home safe’, a court heard.

Arfan Ali, 28, denies engaging in sexual activity without consent of the woman on Christmas Eve 2017.

Teeside Crown Court heard that the alleged victim, then 19, had been drinking with friends and had been put in a taxi after they became ‘concerned’ about her.

Giving evidence during the trial, she said she believes her drink had been spiked in a bar and she has ‘no recollection’ of what happened when in the taxi.




Prosecutor Shaun Dodds said Ali was the taxi driver the teenager was taken to and he was given an address of where to go.

But the court heard, the alleged victim woke up the next morning at a relative’s property, which was not the address her friend gave to Ali.

She discovered ‘scratches and bruises’ on her arms and legs when in the bath and was ‘sore’ so contacted NHS Direct.

They urged her to contact police and the jury was told after examinations that Ali’s DNA was found on her underwear.

Arfan Ali appearing at Teeside Crown Court (Picture: Evening Gazette)

The court heard that within days of the alleged attack, the victim started to receive a number of text messages and phone calls from Ali on a number she had stored in her phone.

Mr Dodds said one phone call was received after the police had contacted Ali, from Middlesborough.

The jury was played the 12-minute call in which Ali insisted he ‘didn’t do anything’ and ‘got her home safely’ that night.

He could be heard saying: ‘I didn’t touch you or anything like that.’

The woman told Ali she had no recollection of the taxi journey but soon questioned him about the address he dropped her off at, as well as injuries on her body.

At one point she asked: ‘How the hell did I get a bruise between my legs?’

The court was told Ali had no explanation of how the alleged victim was dropped off at a different address to the one given to him.

She asked in the call: ‘Was I in any fit state to walk?’ before adding: ‘If you haven’t done anything wrong, how the hell did I get to another address with scratches all over my body and bruises?

‘If it wasn’t you, then it must have been someone else and it’s making me really worried.’

Ali replied: ‘I’ve told you, I’m not like that. I got you home safe.’

The woman told Ali she contacted police because she had no memory of the journey and that he had ‘nothing to worry about’ if he hadn’t done anything wrong.’

The case continues.