A group of women claim they were set-upon by a fake Uber driver who beat them and hurled racist and sexual comments in the middle of a city street.
Three women trying to get home about 7am on Sunday said they escaped the car of an Uber driver only to be attacked by the man in the middle of Pier Street.
The women, who wished to remain anonymous fearing for their safety, recalled the terrifying ordeal to 7NEWS.
“He started turning towards the back seat, towards where the two girls were sitting and saying sexual comments that we had to do this and that to him for our fare home,” one woman said.
Mobile phone footage showed two of the women out of the car, with one sprawled on the ground and a man kicking and jumping at her.
The two women attempted to fight back by kicking and hitting him with their heels.
“Then he just started hitting punching – clenched fists punching into us… side of the faces got us onto the ground.. booting us.. booting,” the woman said.
“I could hear people shouting when I was laying down on my back and when he was on top of me, for him to get off and he just wouldn’t, he kept making racial comments.”
The women believed if witness Rangi Paki hadn’t stepped in to help them, they could have been killed.
Mr Paki let the trio hide in his nearby apartment until police arrived on the scene.
“They tried to get up and run and he was just chasing them still… it was pretty hectic,” he said.
The women said they were aware of the dangers of ride-shares…
