Chilling CCTV captures fake taxi driver kidnapping drunk woman
Kuldip Chahal, a 51-year-old predator posing as a taxi driver, was sentenced to seven years in prison on July 10 after being found guilty of kidnapping a drunk woman in Newcastle city centre. The incident occurred at around 2:20 am on December 21 last year, when the victim became separated from her friends during a night out.
CCTV footage shows Chahal approaching the woman as she waited for a taxi on Fenkle Street. He helped her up from the floor, put his arm around her, and guided her to his white VW Golf parked 10 minutes away. The footage captures him placing the woman into the front seat of his vehicle before walking around to the driver's side.
Police intervene thanks to Operation Salus
Unbeknownst to Chahal, officers monitoring CCTV as part of Northumbria Police's Operation Salus—an initiative to identify vulnerable women at night—had been watching his actions. They directed ground officers to surround the car before it could drive away. Chahal was arrested at the scene.
Following a one-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May, Chahal was found guilty of kidnap. On July 10, he was jailed for seven years with an extended licence period of three years. He was also made subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Victim impact statement reveals lasting trauma
In court, the unnamed woman gave a powerful victim impact statement. She said: 'Before this happened, I was a confident and sociable young woman who enjoyed spending time with my friends. I never imagined that something so frightening could happen to me whilst simply spending time with friends. What happened that night has changed me.'
She added: 'Since that night, I have struggled to feel safe in situations that I previously would not have thought twice about. The thing I struggle with most is knowing that I was vulnerable and that somebody chose to take advantage of that vulnerability. I was a young woman trying to get home after a night out with friends. Instead, I became the target of a man more than twice my age who saw my vulnerability and chose to exploit it. I was not seen as a person. I was seen as an opportunity. That is something I find incredibly difficult to come to terms with.'
The woman, who now suffers from anxiety and stress, continued: 'What hurts most is that I no longer feel like the same person I was before this happened. I feel angry that somebody else's choices have changed so much for me. I feel angry that I lost confidence in myself. I feel angry that I missed important moments with my friends because of the anxiety this has caused me. I feel angry that I now think twice about doing things that used to make me happy.'
Police commend victim's bravery and Operation Salus success
Detective Constable Courtney Cran, who led the investigation for Newcastle's CID, praised the victim: 'Firstly, I would like to commend the victim-survivor, who has shown immense bravery, resilience, and composure throughout the full investigation and the lengthy criminal proceedings that followed.'
He described Chahal as 'a predatory individual who deliberately targeted a lone, vulnerable young woman who was simply trying to get home safely after a night out with friends. He showed absolutely no regard for her welfare or the devastating impact his actions would have, repeatedly denying any wrongdoing and forcing her to relive her trauma during the trial.'
Det Con Cran highlighted the role of Operation Salus: 'Operation Salus exists to identify vulnerability, with officers on hand to intervene in any situations which appear concerning or unsafe in the city centre. Thanks to the vigilance of officers that evening, who saw something was not quite right, they were quickly able to intervene and bring Chahal to a stop.'
