Taxi-driver: I kidnapped, raped her.
By Keino Swamber
Trinidad & Tobago Express | Tuesday, November 24th 2009

A 26-year-old PH taxi driver admitted to a High Court judge yesterday that he kidnapped and raped a 19-year-old woman who was a passenger in his car four years ago.

Pooran Newaldass, through his attorney, Kevin Ratiram, also issued an apology to the victim and her family for the incident which occurred on the M2 Ring Road in South Trinidad.

Upon his arrest, about one hour later, Newaldass told Cpl Curt Simon that he did not rape the woman.

He said: ’I ask she for sex, she say ’no’ and I take it from she and she didn’t fight up’.

Justice Anthony Carmona is expected to pass sentence on Monday in the San Fernando Second Assize Court.

State attorney Joy Balkaran told the court that the woman entered Newaldass’ car at Harris Promenade, San Fernando, at around 10.45 p.m. on July 8, 2005 and asked to be taken to Aripero Village.

Newaldass turned into the M2 Ring Road and told the woman to look out for a house on the left hand side as he had to pick up someone there. She kept asking to be dropped off but was ignored. The car eventually stopped and Newaldass climbed over the front seat and onto the woman who started screaming and tried to open the doors but was unsuccessful.

She was slapped to the right side of her head and told that she would be killed. While raping the woman, Newaldass counted up to 15 then stopped, the court was told.