Disqualified Driver Sentenced for Shocking Taxi Sexual Assaults
Atila Ardic, 25, from Brownswood Road, Hackney, was handed 30 months behind bars at Wood Green Crown Court today for two chilling sexual assaults.
Fake Taxi Ride Turns Into Nightmare for Two Women
Ardic pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two vulnerable females after fraudulently renting a vehicle despite being disqualified from driving. The court heard how, in December 2017, he prowled the streets of Islington and Stoke Newington posing as a private hire driver.
- On 8 December, Ardic picked up a woman in her 30s on Upper Street. She fell asleep in the back seat, only to wake up in a secluded spot in Waterloo where he assaulted her. She managed to escape, leaving her purse behind.
- On 9 December, he picked up a woman in her early 20s who had ordered a ride through a social media app. She too fell asleep before waking up in a deserted Islington road to find Ardic sexually touching her. She fought him off and escaped.
Police Investigation Uncovers Fraud and Assault
Both victims reported the attacks but struggled to give clear descriptions of Ardic or the vehicle. The Met’s Taxi and Private Hire Policing Team linked the assaults and uncovered that Ardic had rented the car using fake details from a French company and even used a bank card left behind by the first victim.
After a painstaking investigation involving GPS data, CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and forensic evidence from victims’ clothing, officers arrested Ardic in January 2018. He refused to answer questions during his interview.
Serious Sentence & Lifetime Impact
Alongside his jail term, Ardic was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, barred from working as a licensed taxi or private hire driver anywhere in England and Wales, and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for five years post-release.
PC Jonny Harris, Met Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of Ardic’s offending. The abuse of trust and the planned nature of these horrific assaults were major aggravating factors. This conviction would not have been possible without the courage and patience of these young women who came forward.”
