Chilling moment fake taxi driver snatches drunk woman off the streets and bundles her into his car before police swoop as he is jailed for seven years

Published: 16:25, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 16:26, 9 July 2026 This is the moment a fake taxi driver snatches a drunk woman off the streets and bundles her into his car before police swoop. Kuldip Chahal, 51, approached the woman as she was waiting for a taxi in Newcastle city centre at around 2.20am on December 21 last year. He was found guilty of kidnap following a one-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May. Chahal was jailed for seven years on Thursday and will also serve an extended licence period of three years. He was also made subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). CCTV footage released by Northumbria Police shows him dragging the lone victim into his Volkswagen Golf after she got separated from friends during a night out.  He guides the woman towards his white car, having helped her up from the floor 10 minutes earlier, as groups of bystanders walk along the pavement just yards away. Chahal can be seen placing her in the front seat of his vehicle before shutting the door and quickly darting over to the driver's side of the car.  Zoomed-in shots show the fake cab driver, wearing a black hood, shutting his own door before getting ready to drive away.  This is the moment fake taxi driver Kuldip Chahal snatches a drunk woman off the streets and bundles her into his car before police swoop A police car pulls up alongside Chahal's vehicle and two officers get out, just after he has placed the woman in the passenger seat But suddenly a police car pulls up alongside and two officers get out of the vehicle and apprehend Chahal.  Officers monitoring CCTV had been watching his actions and directed police on the ground to stop the vehicle before it could pull away. Bodycam footage shows officers telling Chahal to shut his car door and talk to them on the pavement.  He then claims he was driving the woman to meet her friend and had chosen to collect her outside the hotel as it is a 'safe' location. Chahal said he had met her at a pub that evening and that her friend would be calling any minute to confirm she was at the meeting spot.  By 3.15am, police decide to arrest the fake taxi driver and tell him they will be uplifting his car.  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.' The woman, who has been suffering from 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.' Nicoleta Alistari, prosecuting, said Chahal’s actions had been planned and said he was even wearing a lanyard, 'most likely to put himself forward as being a taxi driver'. Judge Gavin Doig said: 'You were in the city centre at that time of night looking for an intoxicated young woman. You enticed her to come with you. 'She believed you were going to take her home. She thought you were a taxi driver. She was extremely drunk and extremely vulnerable. 'You were not intent on helping her, you were intent on harming her. She was not seen by you as a vulnerable person in need of help. Instead you saw her as an opportunity.' Chahal, pictured being apprehended by officers, was jailed for seven years and he will also serve an extended licence period of three years The fake taxi driver was found guilty of kidnap following a one-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May And in praising the police that helped the victim, Judge Doig added: 'The police in this country are very often a source of criticism.   'I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the police who arrived on this occasion to save (the victim) from being taken by you. 'Because of you a police operation is in existence which involves officers monitoring live CCTV in the city. It's a sad state of affairs that such a police operation is necessary in this city.' 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.