Saturday, June 11, 2026 - Chilling footage shows the moment a predator posing as a taxi driver kidnapped a drunk woman off the streets before bundling her into his car.
Kuldip Chahal was caught on CCTV dragging the lone victim
into his white VW Golf after she got separated from friends during a night out.
The woman was approached by the 51-year-old while waiting
for a taxi in Newcastle city centre at around 2.20am on December 21 last year.
He helped her up from the floor and put his arm around her
before guiding her to his parked car 10 minutes away.
CCTV footage on Fenkle Street shows him then putting the
woman into the front seat of his vehicle.
Chahal, wearing a black hooded coat, then walks around and
tries to leave before officers suddenly surround his car.
Officers monitoring CCTV had been watching his actions and
directed officers on the ground to stop the vehicle before it could drive away.
Chahal was found guilty of kidnap following a one-week trial
at Newcastle Crown Court in May.
Today, July 10, he was jailed for seven years, and he will
also serve an extended licence period of three years.
Chahal was also made subject to a lifetime S£xual Harm
Prevention Order (SHPO).
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. I
was a young woman trying to get home after a night out with friends.
"Instead, I became the target of a man more than twice my age who saw my
vulnerability and chose to exploit it. I was not seen as a person. I was seen
as an opportunity. That is something I find incredibly difficult to come to
terms with."
The woman, who suffers with 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."
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.
Det Con Cran added: "Operation Salus exists to identify
vulnerability, with officers on hand to intervene in any situations which
appear concerning or unsafe in the city centre.
"Thanks to the vigilance of officers that evening, who
saw something was not quite right, they were quickly able to intervene and
bring Chahal to a stop."
See video below.
Moment woman kidnapped & bundled into car by stranger prowling for lone victims pic.twitter.com/CxdHk0IFnj
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 10, 2026
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