Perthshire taxi driver found guilty of sex assault on teenage passenger

A taxi driver drove a young female passenger to a remote spot and carried out a terrifying sex attack on her hours after starting his first shift in the job.

The 18-year-old fled from Mark Smith’s cab and hid in the woods because she was so afraid of what he was going to do.

Yesterday at Perth Sheriff Court, Smith was placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months but was allowed to walk free from court.

The 40-year-old father, who said he had lost his job and relationship as a result of his conviction, was placed on a community payback order and ordered to go along to the Tay Project course for convicted sex offenders.

Despite being found guilty after trial, Smith continued to claim he had not done anything wrong and that his frightened teenage victim had simply “misunderstood” him.

The cabbie said he thought it was alright to grope the teenager in his taxi because she had “smiled” at him.

Smith, of Mansfield Park, Bankfoot, was found guilty of the sex assault on the girl in a taxi near Bridge of Earn on November 30 last year.