Uber driver attacked woman in stately home carpark

An Uber driver who promised a woman he ‘wouldn’t touch a strand of her hair’ before attacking her in the carpark of a stately home has been jailed for nearly a year.

Turk Rasim Karsandi, 37, slipped his number to his victim after meeting her while queuing to buy a fast food meal in Fleet Street, central London in May last year.

Karsandi met the woman two days later and he drove to Hall Place, off the A2 in Bexleyheath, Kent.

They sat in the car for two or three hours when he suddenly became violent, the Old Bailey heard.

The woman thought she would lose consciousness and was unable to push him away in the back of his vehicle.

She suffered bruises to the face and across her body, jurors heard.

Jane Osborne, KC, prosecuting, told the court the violence took place against a woman who Karsandi had met a mere two days before.

She said: ‘There was no pretext of meeting her (…) but he became violent.’

Karsandi had flirted with the woman as they queued for food at KFC and helped take her food to her table.

‘Coming to sit on a table close by, but behind [the victim], she gained the impression that although he was behind her he was looking towards their table,’ said Ms Osborne.

‘A short while later he came over and left a napkin on the table. He said something in Turkish and left his name and telephone number on the napkin.’

Later that evening the woman texted Karsandi to which he answered ‘almost immediately’.

‘It was apparent that they had a mutual attraction from meeting in KFC,’ said the prosecutor.

‘He suggested that they meet. They talked about where they lived, what their status was and whether they had a partner or were in a relationship.

‘The defendant said he worked for Uber and talked about cars and a number of private personal plates he had, trying to impress her.

‘[The victim] said she wasn’t interested in a serious relationship, but was interested in getting to know Mr Karsandi.’

When the pair arranged to meet two days later, Karsandi suggested they could go to a hotel for a few hours but the woman replied that she was not that kind of person.

‘The defendant agreed and said they could just sit and talk. Mr Karsandi said he wouldn’t touch a strand of her hair.’

Ms Osborne told jurors the pair kissed in Karsandi’s car on the evening of 6 May.

‘They started kissing, neither unwanted nor particularly unexpected … there came a point afterwards that the defendant’s behaviour had changed.

‘Although he appeared to be nice and caring, he turned and started to become quite violent.’

The woman told Karsandi she was in ‘unbearable pain’ and tried to push him away but was slapped in the face.

‘Most of the blows were to her face. Some were described as sucking at or biting her shoulders.’

The incident came to an end when the car lights came on and the boot suddenly opened because the car keys had been pushed in Karsandi’s trouser pocket.

‘This gave [the victim] the opportunity to get into the front passenger seat. It was cold outside, and she had no idea where she was. She thought she had no choice.

‘She describes a change. He went back to somebody who appeared to be kind and caring.

‘He said: “If you stay with me I’ll never leave you forever”.’

The woman suffered bruising on her neck, side of her face, chest area and stomach.

Karsandi was arrested on 9 May and told police how he met a woman at KFC who looked at him as if she was interested in him.

He told police he pulled his trousers down in the car and their bodies were together.

He admitted he touched her while kissing and claimed the woman wanted to give him oral sex, but he pushed her away.

Karsandi, of Greenwich, denied having penetrative sex with the woman.

He denied two charges of rape, one of assault by penetration and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Wearing a dark suit and tie, Karsandi held his head in his hands and wept as he was acquitted of the two rapes and assault by penetration by a jury of five men and seven women.

He was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Mark Dennis, KC, told Karsandi: ‘Your behaviour leaves a great number of questions, I’m afraid, unanswered. In my mind and in light of the verdicts I can’t resolve those, but these are matters of considerable concern.

‘If there is any further offending whether against a woman or a man your sentences will undoubtedly be higher.

‘To give some support to the victim I am going to impose a restraining order. You are prohibited from making any contact with [the victim] directly or indirectly.’

Karsandi was sentenced for a total of 50 weeks jail and made subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the woman.

Judge Dennis added: ‘I take it Uber are aware of this case? They must know what’s happened.’

The officer in the case confirmed that he would check.

ENDS