Taxi driver raped drunk passenger, court told

The second of two Wellington taxi drivers accused of raping a drunk woman passenger in separate incidents on the same night has been committed to stand trial.

Hisham Awad Riyad, 21, was ordered to stand trial for the rape of the-then 24-year-old woman in the early hours of May 1 following a depositions hearing at the Wellington District Court yesterday.

The first taxi driver - a 25-year-old whose name is suppressed - has pleaded not guilty to raping the woman and is scheduled to stand trial on April 3.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Colin McGillivray said the woman was already drunk on the night of April 30 when she came into Wellington City with her flatmates to attend several parties.

She continued drinking and, after being refused entry to a 21st function, got into Riyad's taxi at the central Dixon St taxi rank.

The woman asked to go to the Valve Bar in Vivian St to meet her friends but the Crown alleged that Riyad instead drove her to an area nearby where he raped her.

"The victim was saying no but because of the level of her intoxication, couldn't fend him off."

When spoken to by police, Riyad said he did not know the woman and denied picking her up in his taxi, Mr McGillivray said.

Environmental Science and Research forensic scientist Susan Vintiner said she had analysed samples and swabs taken from the woman and two motor vehicles.

A swab taken from the woman's left breast produced a DNA sample which could have related to Riyad, she told the court.

But under cross-examination by defence lawyer Simon Hewson, Dr Vintiner said the sample contained DNA from three people.

The majority of the DNA came from the woman and about one-quarter from two different men; the first taxi driver and a second man, of which the sample produced only a "partial DNA profile", she said.

Judge Tom Broadmore said he was satisfied there was enough evidence to commit Riyad to trial and remanded him on bail to the High Court for a callover on January 30.

- NZPA