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New mother 'drugged and assaulted by taxi driver' assaulted new mother'
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent22 Jan 2009
THE driver of a black cab drugged and sexually assaulted a mother on her first night out after the birth of her child, a court was told today.
John Worboys, 51, is accused of preying on 14 young women he picked up in his taxi late at night in streets across central London. He struck a 12th time outside London Bridge station days before his arrest last February, Croydon crown court heard.
Johannah Cutts, QC, for the prosecution, said Worboys agreed to take the 36-year-old woman home to Twickenham after a friend hailed his cab. She had been discussing plans for her wedding in August with her bridesmaids.
Miss Cutts said she was "an ideal target" for Worboys.
The jury heard he told the woman that he had won £33,000 gambling and offered her a glass of champagne and a reduced fare home. He told a similar story to persuade a string of young women to consume alcoholic drinks laced with sedatives and date-rape drugs, the court has heard.
Miss Cutts said Worboys and the woman chatted but as they pulled up outside her home, she began to feel drowsy. It is claimed when he saw the drug was taking effect, the defendant slowed the taxi but did not stop.
"He drove off again, saying that he wanted to have another drink and they should go somewhere else. His tone was more aggressive He gave her no option," Miss Cutts said.
The woman was taken to a quiet road near her home and remembers asking Worboys why they were there. Miss Cutts said he replied: "Because if your husband knew, he would punch me." The prosecutor added: "She felt the situation was surreal and asked him if this was all a joke and there would be a camera somewhere. He told her it was no joke. It is at this point that she lost consciousness."
The woman was discovered by her fiancé slumped by their lavatory in the early hours. She was unable to move her legs. She contacted police and was medically examined. Forensic science experts found traces of condom lubricant in her underwear.
The court has heard that Worboys boasted to one alleged victim that she could not say she had been raped as he always wore a condom. Investigators also found traces of a sleeping pill in her urine. The woman told officers she could smell Issey Miyake aftershave on her skin. Bottles of the same aftershave were found at Worboys's home.
Miss Cutts said her address was also found in a notebook owned by Worboys, as were those of several alleged victims.
Worboys, of Rotherhithe, denies 23 offences including rape, sexual assault and administering a substance with intent. The trial continues.
The trial continues.
