Dubai: A private taxi driver has been jailed for six months for groping a maid while driving her from her sponsor’s place to Shaikh Zayed Road.

The 43-year-old Pakistani driver received a notification on his phone application to pick up the Filipina maid from her sponsor’s residence in Umm Suqeim and drive her to Shaikh Zayed Road in December in 2016.

During the ride, he touched the 29-year-old Filipina’s neck first before he touched her private parts as she was seated beside him in front.

The Filipina was too scared to shout or resist.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendant of molestation although he had pleaded not guilty.

The accused was also found guilty of exposing himself and forcing the maid to touch him while they were waiting at a traffic junction.

The accused will be deported after serving his jail term.

The Pakistani molested the Filipina and breached her privacy and modesty.

The 29-year-old Filipina said her Canadian sponsor ordered for her a private taxi to take her to Shaikh Zayed Road at 1pm.

“I buckled my seat belt and the driver moved towards Mall of the Emirates. Two minutes later, the defendant put his hand on my neck and face. Then he moved it down towards my top … he also moved it further down and groped my private parts. He molested me with his right hand while he kept the other on the steering wheel. I was petrified … then he stopped at a signal. He removed his hand from me since we had stopped between several cars at the junction waiting for the red light to turn green. Meanwhile, he exposed himself and forced me to touch him … I was too scared to move my hand away because he seemed a strong person. I prevented him from sliding his hand into my clothes. The car had tinted windows and it was difficult for people outside to see what was going on inside. When I reached my destination, I told my sponsor what had happened … the driver drove away quickly,” she testified.

The Canadian sponsor said he had ordered for a private driver using the application on his phone.

“Once the maid arrived, she cried bitterly and told me what had happened. We complained to the police. I provided the police with the driver’s details as per the application,” he testified.

The primary ruling remains subject to appeal within 13 days.