Ernesto Lusadisu: fake taxi driver jailed for raping woman he tricked in Manchester city centre

The attacker pretended to be a cab driver to trick a woman into his car on a night out.
Jenny Simpson
By Jenny Simpson
Published 7th Dec 2021, 16:34 BST
Ernesto Lusadisu, 35, of Manchester has been jailed for 12 years for rape Credit: GMPErnesto Lusadisu, 35, of Manchester has been jailed for 12 years for rape Credit: GMP
Ernesto Lusadisu, 35, of Manchester has been jailed for 12 years for rape Credit: GMP

A man from Manchester has been jailed for 12 years for raping a 25-year-old woman.

Ernesto Lusadisu, 35, of Sawley Road, Miles Platting, was found guilty at a trial at Manchester Crown Court in November to one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

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Today, he was sentenced to 12 years for rape and nine years for sexual assault by penetration to be served concurrently.

The court heard how, in the early hours of 21 January 2018, Lusadisu approached the victim on Church Street in Manchester city centre and told her he was a taxi driver.

The victim had become separated from her friends after a night out and was heading towards Manchester Piccadilly station to get a taxi home.

The woman was intoxicated and unsteady on her feet, the court heard.

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Lusadisu walked her to his car and agreed to drive her home.

The victim urged Lusadisu to stop driving upon realising that he was heading in the wrong direction. Instead, he told her that he was taking her to his home address.

The court heard how, once outside his address on Sawley Road, Miles Platting, he dragged the victim to his flat where he raped her.

The victim managed to get away and alerted a resident in a nearby flat who called the police.

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Detective Sergeant Kirsty Wroe, of GMP Trafford CID, said: “The victim trusted this man to safely drive her home.

“Instead, he lied and took advantage of her by abusing her in one of the worst ways possible. It is only right that Lusadisu remains behind bars for 12 years.

“I would like to thank the victim for her cooperation through what must have been an incredibly gruelling and tough investigation.

“While she may never be able to fully move on from this awful incident, I hope that today’s sentence will bring some form of closure to an incredibly tough period in her life.”

  • Anyone affected by this case can contact police online, if able, via www.gmp.police.uk , or call 101. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Related topics:Greater Manchester