Dominic Dalton (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A 30-year-old taxi driver has been sentenced to nine years in prison after a jury unanimously found him guilty of raping a passenger he had been trusted to get home safely.
Dominic Dalton, of Pencader, picked up the victim and her friend in the early hours of Sunday, 25 February 2024, after the pair had been enjoying a night out in Aberystwyth.
The journey home
Dalton dropped the victim’s friend off first before continuing to drive the woman home alone. Swansea Crown Court heard that the taxi meter allegedly stopped working at this point, meaning the remainder of the journey was never recorded.
The victim drifted in and out of sleep during the ride. When they arrived at her address, Dalton woke her and helped her inside, guiding her upstairs to her bedroom, where she fell back to sleep.
She woke to find Dalton raping her.
The victim’s escape
In desperation, the woman ran to her kitchen and grabbed a knife, screaming at Dalton to leave. When he refused, she fled her own home barefoot, slashing the tyres of his taxi as she left. She found safety at a nearby address and bravely contacted police to report what had happened.
Dalton’s attempts to cover his tracks
After leaving the property in his taxi, Dalton parked up nearby and flagged down another driver, claiming he had suffered a blowout. He later returned to the victim’s home to drop off her mobile phone, which he had taken with him, only to discover police were already in the area.
The court heard how Dalton then used his phone to search for articles including “have you been falsely accused of rape?”, “perverting the course of justice”, and “wasting police time in cases involving allegedly false allegations of rape” – attempting to build a story around his actions.
Trial and sentencing
Dalton was arrested the same day and, following a lengthy investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police, was charged with rape. He denied the offence at Swansea Crown Court, claiming the sex had been consensual, but after a five-day trial on 17 January, the jury took less than two hours to unanimously convict him.
He was sentenced on Wednesday, 18 February, to nine years in prison.
What police said
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Mathew Nelson, said: “I sincerely commend the victim’s bravery and resilience in coming forward to report the heinous crime of which she had been subjected to. Engaging with the Criminal Justice System as the victim has in this case takes an act of immense courage that deserves profound respect. By standing up and reporting Dalton, the victim has protected other members of the community too. I hope this conviction and sentencing brings some closure to the victim after experiencing such an horrific ordeal.
“As a taxi driver, Dalton’s job was to ensure that his passengers got home safely. He abused that position that night, exploiting the victim’s vulnerability, and later went on to lie about his actions. The conviction and sentence passed serves to punish Dalton for his actions, but importantly also validates the victim’s voice.
“I hope the outcome will give confidence to other victims, in knowing their voices will be heard and listened to. I hope for the wider community, you will feel safe in the knowledge that a perpetrator such as Dalton has been dealt with robustly.”
