A taxi driver convicted of raping an 18-year-old female passenger in the Highlands has had both his appeal against conviction and his sentence refused.
David Brown was sentenced to almost seven years in prison in May following his attack on the woman in December 2023. He had picked up his victim after she finished a night out in Inverness, deliberately drove past her intended destination, and assaulted her in a lay-by before abandoning her in sub-zero temperatures in Dingwall.
When sentencing Brown at the High Court in Stirling, judge Lord Renucci described the ordeal inflicted on the teenager as terrifying and said Brown had forced her to endure a horrific experience.
What triggered the council controversy?
The case sparked a major political crisis at Highland Council after it emerged that six male members of the licensing committee had voted in June 2026 to allow Brown to retain two taxi operator licences despite his conviction. Four female councillors opposed the decision. According to reporting on the licensing decision, Police Scotland had objected to Brown keeping his operator's licence, and the council had been warned it could face legal action if it acted before sentencing.
The decision, taken in private, triggered widespread public backlash and criticism from rape charities. Highland Council subsequently referred the matter for further consideration by the full council following the committee vote.
How did the licensing situation resolve?
Before a special council meeting could take place to reconsider the decision, Brown surrendered both of his taxi operator's licences. The special Highland Council meeting originally scheduled for 4 August 2026 became unnecessary because the licences had already been handed in.
It emerged that Brown's taxi driver's licence had already been suspended in January 2024, and Highland Council later disclosed that there had been no further review requests for his operator's licence between January 2024 and 23 June 2026, meaning the licence remained in force for more than two years while he faced allegations.
What happened to the councillors involved?
Earlier this month, Highland councillors overwhelmingly delivered a vote of no confidence in five members: Sean Kennedy, Chris Birt, John Grafton, Ruraidh Stewart and Duncan Macpherson. Four of these councillors—along with Willie Mackay, who also quit the council entirely—resigned from the licensing committee following the backlash.
Chris Birt remains on the committee. It is up to individual councillors to decide whether to resign from their council positions altogether.
What happens next?
A by-election is due to take place in the Wick and East Caithness ward on Thursday following Willie Mackay's resignation from the council.
Key Facts:
- David Brown was jailed for almost seven years in May 2026 for raping an 18-year-old passenger in December 2023
- Six male councillors voted to allow him to keep two taxi operator licences; four female councillors voted against
- Brown surrendered both licences before a special council meeting could reconsider the decision
- Five councillors faced a vote of no confidence; four resigned from the licensing committee and one quit the council entirely
- A by-election is scheduled in the Wick and East Caithness ward on Thursday
