Woman jailed after sexually assaulting taxi driver

Gemma Pinkerton told the driver she was a prostitute and groped him over his clothing up to 30 times

After the taxi driver rejected her offer, she refused to pay the fare and tried to blackmail him by telling him she would report him for sexual assault (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

A woman has been jailed after she sexually assaulted a male taxi driver in an attempt to avoid paying £26.50 for the journey.

Gemma Pinkerton, 25, told the driver she was a prostitute and groped him over his clothing up to 30 times, The Sun reports.

After he rejected her offer, she refused to pay the fare and tried to blackmail him by telling him she would report him for sexual assault.

Pinkerton slapped the driver and damaged his car before he managed to push her out of the vehicle.

Mike Brown, prosecuting, read a statement from the driver, who said he had been left "stressed" and "shocked".

The court was told Pinkerton was on a cocktail of drink and drugs at the time of the assault. She has 36 prior convictions for 64 offences.

She pleaded guilty to sexual assault, common assault, causing criminal damage and making off without payment.

Judge Ian Lawrie told her she would go to prison for 30 months.

"You persisted by one means or another to try and get a free lift home," ITV reports he said.

"You kissed him and offered him sex and went to the extraordinary lengths of groping him.

"There comes a time when enough is enough and you need to be punished."