Australian court suspends jail term of Indian cabbie

An Indian taxi driver in Australia, who had admitted to assaulting a drunk woman passenger, was given a suspended jail sentence by the court Thursday, media reported.

Jagdeep Singh, 25, picked up the woman from The Grand hotel in Adelaide in the early hours in December 2012, and close to her home she crawled out of the taxi and vomited, ABC News reported.

Singh kissed and put his hand up the woman's dress and inappropriately touched her, during the incident.

The district court judge Thursday suspended Singh's two-year sentence in favour of a three-year good behaviour bond.

Singh, who lost his job after the assault, has been unable to get another student visa and is expected to return to India.

The judge told Singh the woman had been in a vulnerable state.

"(It was) a serious attack on a young woman who was vulnerable because of her intoxication," the judge said.

"It was also a breach of trust, given that you were a taxi driver and she was entitled to expect you would drive her safely to her home," the judge added.

The victim, in her impact statement, explained about the consequences of the incident, which included the breakdown of a relationship, and anxiety.

The defence lawyer contended that the cabbie should not be jailed for indecently assaulting a drunk passenger because he already faced the likelihood of deportation to India.

The prosecution dropped a charge of attempted rape.

The accused had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault.