Chilling footage shows the moment a predator posing as a taxi driver kidnapped a drunk woman off the streets before bundling her into his car.
Kuldip Chahal was caught on CCTV dragging the lone victim into his white VW Golf after she got separated from friends during a night out.
The woman was approached by the 51-year-old while waiting for a taxi in Newcastle city centre at around 2.20am on December 21 last year.
He helped her up from the floor and put his arm around her before guiding her to his parked car 10 minutes away.
CCTV footage on Fenkle Street shows him then putting the woman into the front seat of his vehicle.
Chahal, wearing a black hooded coat, then walks around and tries to leave before officers suddenly surround his car.
Officers monitoring CCTV had been watching his actions and directed officers on the ground to stop the vehicle before it could drive away.
Chahal was found guilty of kidnap following a one-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May.
Today, July 10, he was jailed for seven years, and he will also serve an extended licence period of three years.
Chahal was also made subject to a lifetime S£xual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Giving evidence in court, the unnamed woman 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 suffers with anxiety and stress in the aftermath, added: “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.”
Detective Constable Courtney Cran, who led the investigation for Newcastle’s CID, said: “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.
”Chahal is 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. Working alongside neighbourhood policing colleagues and key partners, I was quickly able to unravel Chahal’s web of lies and present clear evidence of his intentions that evening.”
Chahal was unaware he was being watched as part of Northumbria Police’s Operation Salus, which helps identify vulnerable women at night.
Det Con Cran added: “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.”
See video below.