A taxi driver who was trusted by the community saw an increase in his prison term for filming himself committing sexual assault against a vulnerable passenger repeatedly over a number of years.
Lance Percival, residing in Oxted, Surrey, faced an extended sentence following a referral by the Solicitor General to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
The court learned that Percival regularly transported a vulnerable woman to her support services from 2020 to 2025. During this time frame, he subjected her to multiple instances of rape and sexual assault, taking advantage of her inability to provide consent due to her vulnerable state.
Police discovered incriminating evidence against Percival when they found an SD card in his possession containing videos depicting the sexual assault of the victim. The footage on the card included 16 videos showing Percival assaulting the victim, with some recordings capturing her pleas for him to stop.
Upon his arrest, Percival acknowledged that he was fully aware the victim was incapable of giving consent to the acts.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP condemned Percival’s actions, describing them as an egregious abuse of trust. She highlighted his exploitation of the victim’s vulnerability while serving as her taxi driver to commit heinous acts of sexual assault and rape.
In a bid to safeguard women and girls from such abuses, Reeves welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to extend Percival’s sentence, ensuring he remains incarcerated for a longer period, thus preventing him from causing harm to others.
Percival was initially sentenced to 12 years and six months, along with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order on November 10, 2025. He pleaded guilty to a range of charges, including sexual activity with a person impeded by mental disorder, rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration.
Following a hearing at the Court of Appeal on March 24, Percival’s sentence was prolonged to a 20-year term, comprising 16 years of imprisonment and a four-year extended licence period.
