Bus Driver Jailed For Rape

A 42-year-old bus driver from Hayes has been jailed at Isleworth Crown Court for eight years.

Kalash Vijay, from Evergreen Way, was found guilty of two counts of rape.

The victim, a 24-year-old woman, had been out with friends on the evening of Sunday 7 February. At 2.44am she got on the N207 night bus in Acton.

The victim, who had been drinking, sat on the top deck of the bus and may have fallen asleep. CCTV shows the driver of the bus, Kalash Vijay, go upstairs to the victim at 3.16am and bring her downstairs. He then turned off the lights and showed the bus as out of service.

A little later Vijay stopped the bus in Dawly Street, Hayes and dropped the victim off on the street before parking the bus at the nearby bus station and returning in his car and picking up his victim.

The suspect then took his victim back to his house where he raped her. He took her back to the station the following morning. The victim contacted police on Tuesday 8 February to report she had been raped.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Sapphire unit investigated the crime.

DC Anna Hukowski said: "Vijay told the court a string of lines, claiming the victim was his girlfriend. I am grateful the jury saw through those lies.

"Vijay took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable condition. She has shown incredible strength of character in reporting this incident and we have used our expertise to ensure that Vijay was identified and brought to justice.

"I am grateful the court saw the seriousness of the offence and it was reflected in his sentence."

Vijay has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

A Sexual Offences Prevention Order also made, bans him from driving any public service vehicle, including buses, coaches, mini-cabs, taxis, whether paid, recreational or voluntary.

(BMcN)