Taxi driver’s sentence increased Court of Appeal

A man from Gloucester who sexually assaulted a woman in his taxi has had his two year suspended sentence increased to four years in prison.

Taranjit Singh, also known as Tony, was working as a taxi driver in November 2021 when he picked up a woman and instead of taking her home, drove her to an industrial estate.

The victim, who had fallen asleep in his car, awoke to find Singh sexually assaulting her.

Singh, now aged 50, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and was initially sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on 18 October 2024 to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years.

The sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General’s Office to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Court of Appeal agreed it was unduly lenient and on Tuesday 21 January Singh’s sentence was increased to four years’ imprisonment.

Singh will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life and was given an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim. He has also been banned from being a taxi driver for 10 years.

A warrant for Singh’s arrest was issued by a judge the day after the Court of Appeal hearing, however during this time Singh is believed to have left the country. Work is ongoing to locate him.

Detective Constable Annabel Brittain said:

“We work tirelessly to ensure individuals like Singh are put before the courts and victims receive the justice they deserve.

“The sentence is ultimately a matter for the judge to determine and out of our hands, but I am pleased to see that Singh’s sentence has now been increased to reflect the severity of his offences. This is welcomed by the victim; and I hope too this is reassuring to members of the public while deterring offenders.

“Singh’s disappearance is cowardly but I am hopeful that he will soon be located so he can begin his sentence behind bars.

“I would urge anyone who has been sexually assaulted to report it to police and be reassured that they will be supported and that their reports will be thoroughly and sensitively investigated.”

Anita Hudson, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service South West said:

“We would like to thank the victim for her courage and bravery in supporting this prosecution, despite the significant impact that this incident has had on her.”

“We felt strongly that the suspended sentence imposed following the trial did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offence or the significant impact upon the victim. The case was therefore referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme, resulting in the sentence being reviewed and replaced with one of four years imprisonment.

“We are pleased that we were able to deliver justice for the victim in this case.”

“We want every victim of sexual assault to have the confidence to come forward to report abuse, in the knowledge that support is available and that the police and CPS are committed to securing justice.”