Rapist taxi driver gives up operator's licences

A convicted rapist has surrendered two taxi operator's licences he had been allowed to keep after being jailed for raping a young female passenger.

David Brown, 50, from Croy, near Inverness, was sentenced to six years and nine months in May following his attack on the 18-year-old in December 2023.

In June, Highland licensing committee voted in private to take no action on Brown's operator's licences following a request from his family, but the decision was criticised by rape charities.

Four councillors later resigned from the committee and a fifth was suspended by their party, the SNP.

Highland Council convener Bill Lobban said that had the special meeting gone ahead as planned, councillors would have "made the right decision based on the information before them".

He added: "Personally, having considered the papers submitted for the special meeting originally to be held tomorrow, I find it impossible to understand how the licensing committee reached their original decision."

Tuesday's meeting is expected to go ahead to discuss the committee's decision-making.

On the night of the attack, Brown picked up the woman who had been on a night out in Inverness - she had wanted to go back to her Highland village.

Instead, Brown drove past her destination before pulling into a lay-by near a farm, somewhere between Strathpeffer and Dingwall, and raped her.

He then left her in sub-zero temperatures in Dingwall.

Jailing Brown at the High Court in Stirling in May, judge Lord Renucci told him he had forced the teenager to undergo a terrifying ordeal. Brown had denied the charges.

The following month, six male councillors on Highland Council's licensing committee voted in favour of Brown keeping his licences to operate a taxi business.

Four female councillors voted against the move.

Police Scotland had objected to Brown's operator's licence continuing.

After criticism of the decision, chairman Sean Kennedy along with John Grafton, Duncan Macpherson and Willie MacKay resigned from the licensing committee.

Independent councillor MacKay also resigned as a councillor, while Grafton was suspended by the Scottish Liberal Democrat group on Highland Council.

Another of the committee members, Chris Birt, was suspended by the SNP.

Brown's taxi driver's licence - which allowed him to drive - had been suspended in January 2024 after details of his offences emerged.

His separate operator's licence allowed his vehicle to be used as a taxi business.

Last month, it emerged that Brown was to appeal his conviction and sentencing.