A BLACKBURN taxi driver who tried to rape a young woman he was supposed to be taking home after a night out clubbing failed in an Appeal Court bid to cut his five-year prison sentence.

Gulnawaz Hussain, 24, of Malham Gardens, who put his victim through a terrifying ordeal in a supermarket car park in the early hours of February 4 last year, was acquitted of rape, but convicted of attempted rape at Birmingham Crown Court in November last year.

Three judges at London's Criminal Appeal Court ruled yesterday his sentence was not a day too long.

The court heard how Hussain started touching the young woman's leg as she sat alone next to him after he picked her up from a club.

Mr Justice Jack told the court: "She did not object and he said he took this for consent. She then told him to stop but he went on and pulled into a supermarket car park.

"He claimed he thought she wanted him sexually. He lowered the passenger seat so it was leaning backwards and told her to lift her skirt."

The judge then told how he shouted at her, touched her breasts and between her legs and forced her to crouch on all fours, pulling her knickers off. However, he did not manage to have full intercourse.

"During this he threatened her saying he would kill her or beat her up.

"He asked her to perform oral sex on him but she took this opportunity to escape, grabbing her knickers and bag and running to a nearby petrol station."

The police were called and Hussain was later arrested.

Mr Justice Jack, sitting with Lord Justice Clark and Judge Neil Denison, added: "The main aggravating feature is that Hussain abused his position of trust as a taxi driver."

But for his guilty plea, he would have been jailed for at least seven years, he added.

"We do not think that a sentence of five years can be considered manifestly excessive. The renewed application for leave to appeal is refused," the judge concluded.