A CABBIE has been told he will never work behind the wheel of a taxi again after being convicted of sexually assaulting a girl.

Father-of-four Muntaza Khaliq, 34, of Fleet Street, Nelson, had been convicted of sexual assault by a jury at Burnley Crown Court.

He received 30 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, with 180 hours’ unpaid work.

The defendant was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

Geraldine Kelly, for Khaliq, said until the assault, he had been a taxi driver for 13 years, but would never be allowed to work in that capacity again.

He had never been accused of anything like this before and it was now more than two years since the offence.

Miss Kelly said the defendant had been married for 10 years and was a family man.

She said: “He has not been able to work for two years. That has caused him great financial difficulty in terms of debts.”

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt said: “You have shown no remorse or contrition and made her relive the events of that night.”

Judge Lunt said the assault was at the lower end of such offences and the guidelines stated it did not warrant an immediate custody.