"I feel like a part of myself died that night"
Nazim Asmal, aged 35, formerly of Blackburn, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for pretending to be a taxi driver in order to rape vulnerable women.
He targeted women who were returning from a night out and led them to believe he was a taxi driver.
On October 3, 2021, the first victim got into Asmal’s car in Preston city centre.
He drove for about 10 minutes, raped the woman in the car and then dropped her off back in the city centre. She flagged a member of the public down for help.
On March 4, 2023, the second victim had been on a night out in Darwen and ended up in Asmal’s car.
He drove her to a remote location on the outskirts of Darwen where he raped her.
Asmal managed to obtain her phone number and called her at the start of April.
On that occasion, she did not answer the call because it came up with ‘no caller ID’.
Asmal called her again on April 8, 2023, where she answered.
The woman recognised the voice as her attacker but did not know his identity. She ended the call after Asmal asked her “if she wanted to do something?”
That same evening, Aspal pretended to be a taxi driver to target a third woman.
She got into Asmal’s car in Darwen town centre. Driving her towards Bolton, Asmal said:
“You don’t want to pay for this taxi, do you?”
He stopped in a secluded area and raped her. He then dropped her off at her home.
Asmal was tracked down after his black Toyota Yaris was picked up on CCTV cameras.
In a statement at Preston Crown Court, the first victim said:
“Although this incident happened to me nearly two years ago, I still live with many of the psychological and emotional impacts, honestly, I believe that my life was changed forever that night.
“My old life was shattered, and it has been a constant struggle that I don’t think I will ever fully recover from.
“I feel like a part of myself died that night and that makes me overwhelmingly sad and angry.
“Before the incident, I was outgoing and enjoyed going out with my friends, I was kind and trusting of people’s good nature.
“I have found that the incident has had a considerable impact on my relationship with friends and family.
“I have struggled and continue to struggle with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety since what’s happened.
“This has led to me avoiding social interactions that before I would be happy to attend, withdrawing away from the people I love, and losing an interest in so many things I used to enjoy.
“I really struggle with being out late at night or when it’s dark as I feel so scared at the prospect of being attacked.
“This has been quite debilitating at times as I have had to avoid social interactions for fear of my journey home alone and even has prevented me walking my dogs at night right by my house.”
The second victim said: “I was seeing someone when this happened, but this could not continue after what that man did to me, I really don’t like the thought of getting close to anyone.
“I lie awake at night replaying it all in my head…just last night I could not sleep thinking about it. I was stressed and anxious being at home because he knew where I lived. I did not feel safe there.
“When I go out with my friends I usually drive and don’t drink. I don’t like getting in taxis alone anymore.
“My lifestyle has had to change which changes the dynamic of my relationships.”
The third victim said: “After the incident in April I have really struggled mentally, physically and emotionally.
“I have been low; I have lost weight and feel constantly anxious. I feel lost and out of control, I am scared to be on my own and have a constant feeling of hypervigilance.”
Asmal pleaded guilty to four counts of rape.
He was sentenced to 17 years in prison with a further five years on extended licence. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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