Sikh cabbie in Australia avoids jail sentence over sex assault charges

Brisbane (Australia), July 13 (ANI): A Sikh taxi driver, who covered his in-car CCTV camera before sexually assaulting a drunken teen, has narrowly escaped serving time in prison.

Harmeet Singh, 34, pleaded guilty in the District Court in Brisbane today to committing sexual assault on November 14 last year, The Courier Mail reports.

The court was told that Singh picked up a woman, then aged 18, and her friend at a taxi rank in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley after the teenagers had been out drinking.

After dropping the girl's friend off at her home in St John's Wood, Singh went on to her home at The Gap.

Crown prosecutor Clare Kelly said Singh stopped his Black and White cab before reaching the girl's home and placed a tissue over his car's CCTV camera.

He then leaned over and began hugging and kissing, before attempting to assault her sexually. The girl, however, managed to escape and ran home.

Singh was arrested several days later.

Singh is residing in Australia on a spousal visa, while his wife is on a student visa.

His license to drive a taxi was revoked shortly after the incident.

Judge Milton Griffin, SC, sentenced him to 10 months in prison to be wholly suspended. (ANI)