JAILED: Taxi driver who claimed ‘meter broke’ convicted of raping sleeping passenger
- Perry Richardson
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A taxi driver has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of raping a passenger he had driven home from a night out in Aberystwyth.
Dominic Dalton, 30, of Pencader, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday 18 February following a five-day trial. A jury took less than two hours to unanimously find him guilty on 17 January after rejecting his claim that the sexual encounter had been consensual.
The court heard that the victim had been on a night out with a friend in Aberystwyth in the early hours of Sunday 25 February 2024 when she entered a taxi driven by Dalton. She believed him to be a trusted driver who would take her home safely.
During the journey, Dalton dropped the victim’s friend off first before continuing to the victim’s address. Swansea Crown Court was told that Dalton later claimed the taxi meter stopped working at the friend’s address and that the remainder of the journey was not recorded.
Aberystwyth-licensed driver attacked passenger after late-night fare, jury convicts following five-day trial
The victim fell in and out of sleep during the ride home. On arrival, Dalton woke her and helped her inside the property, guiding her upstairs to her bedroom where she fell back asleep. She later awoke to find Dalton raping her.
In an attempt to force him to leave, the victim ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, screaming at him to get out of her home. When he refused, she fled the property barefoot, slashing the tyres of the taxi as she left. She sought help at a nearby address and contacted police to report the assault.
The court heard that Dalton left the property in his taxi and parked nearby before flagging down another taxi driver, claiming he had suffered a blowout. He later returned to the victim’s address to hand back her mobile phone after realising he had taken it with him, but saw police already in the area.
Evidence presented at trial showed that he used his mobile phone to search for online 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” as he attempted to formulate an account of events.
Dalton was arrested later the same day. Following a lengthy investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police, he was charged with rape. After denying the offence in court, he was convicted and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
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.”
