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Woman abducted and raped by fake UK taxi driver asks 'why was his jail sentence so short?'
Reach Daily Express | April 7, 2026 6:41 PM CST

A woman who was abducted and raped by a fake taxi driver said she will not have healed by the time her attacker is released from prison. She believes Barzan Nawshowani's eight-year sentence is far too short for the severity of his rape and abduction convictions, after he locked her inside a barbershop and raped her following a night out in Glasgow on August 7, 2022.

Nawshowani pretended he was a taxi driver when her friend flagged down a car. The rapist then took her friend home, which was confusing since she lived further away, before driving to KS Turkish Barbers in Dennistoun, where he worked. The survivor instantly knew something was wrong when he pulled up a distance from her home, and described freezing in fear when he opened the shutters on the shop.

"The next thing I remember is being in the middle of that barber shop with the door locked and the shutters down and it was such a quick turnaround," she told the BBC.

"Mainly in my head was 'just do as you are told'. My immediate thought was that he might kill me. He then approached me and it became quite aggressive and violent," she said. "I just froze again."

The evil man then raped her after turning off the CCTV. Court documents stated the victim was driven there whilst she was intoxicated and unable to give or withhold consent, and the rapist pulled her bra down while she was asleep or unconscious due to intoxication.

She said he was taller, older and stronger than her, and nobody in that circumstance could have done any differently.

"I was saying 'no, stop' and crying my eyes out. It was so intense and scary. I don't think I have been more terrified in all my life," she said.

The attacker then opened the doors, and the woman ran outside onto the street and collapsed before calling her friend and running home.

She described feeling ashamed even though she knew the shame should lie with the evil man. Her friend insisted they report it and police arrested Nawshowani within a couple of days.

Nawshowani was initially sentenced to just six years before the Crown appealed it, stating the sentence was unduly lenient and did not adequately reflect the "premeditated and predatory nature of the attack on a vulnerable young woman, the features of abduction and detention, the force used, and the harm the attack caused her", according to court documents.

Upon initial sentencing, the woman felt vindicated, but then shortly after processing it, she felt it was unduly short for the harm he had caused. She believed the sentence should be between 15 and 16 years, and not his eight years with three years of extra supervision.

The standard sentence for rape in Scotland is between 5 and 13 years, and new guidelines came into effect that outlined factors to consider when handing out the toughest sentences, including the harm caused to the victim, the use of threats, abuse of a position of trust, and psychological harm and trauma. It also allowed for extended sentences in certain of rape.

If you have been affected by any themes in this story, you can contact Rape Crisis 24-hours a day on 0808 500 2222.


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