Rapist taxi driver's appeal against conviction and sentence refused

A taxi driver who was convicted of raping an 18-year-old female passenger in the Highlands has had his appeal to both his conviction and sentence refused.

David Brown was jailed for almost seven years in May for the attack in December 2023.

He picked up the woman, who had been on a night out in Inverness, and drove past her destination before attacking her in a lay-by.

Earlier this month, Highland councillors overwhelmingly delivered a vote of no confidence in five councillors who allowed Brown to keep two taxi operator licences following his conviction.

It emerged in July that Brown planned to appeal his conviction and sentence.

After raping the teenager, Brown 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 his victim to undergo a terrifying ordeal.

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

Four female councillors voted against the move.

Following a backlash, Brown surrendered his licences.

The vote of no confidence related to Sean Kennedy, Chris Birt, John Grafton, Ruraidh Stewart and Duncan Macpherson.

Four of the councillors previously resigned from the licensing committee along with Willie Mackay, who also quit the council.

A by-election is due to take place in his Wick and East Caithness ward on Thursday.

Chris Birt is still on the committee.

It is up to the individual councillors to decide whether to resign as councillors.