Girl faces custody over false rape claim

5:35pm Thursday 29th March 2007

A teenage girl has been warned by a judge she faces being locked up after she admitted falsely claiming she had been raped by a Bradford taxi driver.

The 17-year-old Shipley girl admitted an accusation of perverting the course of justice when she appeared at Bingley Youth Court.

Adjourning sentence until next month for reports, District Judge David Thomas told the girl, whose identity is protected by law, that he was considering a custodial sentence.

He refused a legal application by the Telegraph & Argus to be allowed to name the girl.

Speaking after yesterday's short court hearing, the taxi driver involved, Aftab Ahmed, said the girl's claims made in January last year had "destroyed" his life.

Mr Ahmed, 44, of Wimborne Drive, Allerton, said: "I am happy that she pleaded guilty eventually but she has wasted so much time. She should have done it sooner. She has wasted the police's time and people's money and I am still living with the trauma.

"She destroyed my life. Even now I don't know if I can move on - it depends on how people's behaviour changes. People still talk."

Mr Ahmed, who is married with 11-year-old twin daughters, said he had spent 15 hours in police custody when he was arrested following the girl's allegations and endured questioning and forensic examinations.

He was told by police last April that no charges would be brought against him but he said his ordeal had changed him.

"I was petrified because I did not do anything wrong and now I have lost my trust in everyone," said Mr Ahmed.

"I used to play with my children outside in the driveway. I don't do that now; I don't take them to the park. I just go to work and come home. Their lives have been shattered."

Mr Ahmed praised the support his wife had given him. He said: "My wife never doubted me and she kept the family together because I couldn't think about anything apart from the allegation.

"Taxi drivers get blamed for a lot. We pick up drunk people who treat us like animals but we still give them respect and we drop them home safely. We need to be treated like human beings."

Speaking after the hearing Detective Constable Mark Wycherley said: "We investigate all allegations of rape and when they are found to be false we take the appropriate action. If you wanted someone to take your daughter home you would want Mr Ahmed to be that person."

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