A FORMER taxi driver who punched a woman in the face after having sex with her near High Wycombe cemetery has walked free from court.

Mohammed Sajid was cleared of raping the woman – who he said was a prostitute – on November 20 but was convicted by jurors of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against her following a four-day trial.

But the 22-year-old, of Plantation Road, High Wycombe, had served 168 days on remand since originally being charged with rape by police – which Aylesbury Crown Court Judge Christopher Tyrer said should count as time served.

Sajid was released from custody following today's sentencing hearing, although Judge Tyrer said he had shown “no remorse” over the incident and the “results of your violence are plain”.

The court heard the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered a black eye and a bloodied lip following the assault.

Sajid passed a letter to Judge Tyrer prior to being sentenced saying he accepted responsibility for what happened.

But Judge Tyrer told him he “doubted” what Sajid said in the letter.

Passing sentence the judge said: “You showed no remorse and tried to justify what you did to this woman.

“I bear in mind you have not been in trouble before, I bear in mind your age, but I bear in mind you didn't plead guilty and, in my judgement, you have now shown remorse.”

During his trial Sajid told the court the woman would accuse him of rape if he did not give her money.

She performed a sex act on him ‘out of her own will’ in the back of his Ford Mondeo, he said – adding when she reached forward to try and grab cash in the car ashtray, she said she would accuse him of rape if he did not give it her.

He told the court: “She was blackmailing me for money, saying she would call the police and say it was rape.”