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HALIFAX — A judge has acquitted a former Halifax cab driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger, saying he believed the woman but the Crown failed to prove the identity of her assailant.

The Crown alleged Houssen Milad kissed a female passenger on top of her head when driving her home to the Spryfield neighbourhood in June 2016, and groped her buttocks before she got out of the vehicle.

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But Judge Gregory Lenehan said Thursday the Crown did not come anywhere near proving its case against Milad beyond a reasonable doubt, and did a “disservice” to the complainant and to the community.

“The investigation in this matter lacked a real critical analysis and amounted to a disservice to (the complainant),” Lenehan said. “She deserved to have her complaint given a more thorough investigation.”

The judge — who is under investigation for a ruling he gave in a different sexual assault case involving a taxi driver earlier this year — said Thursday the 26-year-old passenger in the Milad case was a credible witness, and he believes she was sexually assaulted.