- Dominic Dalton was sentenced to nine years for raping a passenger in his taxi in February 2024
- He turned off the taxi meter and assaulted the victim after she fell asleep during the ride
- The victim escaped by slashing Dalton’s tires and calling for help from a neighbor and police
Dominic Dalton, a 30-year-old taxi driver from Pencader, Carmarthenshire, was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping a passenger who had fallen asleep in his car. The incident occurred in February 2024 after Dalton picked up the victim and her friend following a night out in Aberystwyth.
Dalton dropped the victim's friend off first before continuing to the victim's home. During this time, he allegedly turned off his taxi meter so the journey would not be recorded. The victim fell in and out of sleep during the ride. Upon arrival at her residence, Dalton helped her inside and into her bedroom, where she fell back to sleep. She later woke to find Dalton raping her.
In a desperate attempt to force him out, the woman grabbed a kitchen knife and screamed at him to leave. When he initially refused, she ran outside barefoot and used the knife to slash his taxi tires before seeking help from a neighbor and contacting the police.
The Arrest
Dalton eventually fled the scene and called another taxi, claiming he had a tire blowout. He later drove back to the woman's home when he realised her phone was with him. However, police had already arrived in the area.
In a bid to avoid getting caught, he frantically tried to come up with a story, the court heard. His phone searches revealed he had looked up things like 'have you been falsely accused of rape?' and 'perverting the course of justice.'
He was arrested the same day, and following a lengthy investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police, Dalton was charged with rape.
However, he denied rape charges, claiming the sex was consensual. On February 18, he was sentenced to nine years in prison after a jury found him guilty.
Police Statement
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Mathew Nelson commended the victim's bravery and resilience in reporting the crime, saying it took immense courage. He added that by standing up, the victim had protected others in the community. Nelson hoped the conviction brings some closure to the victim after her ordeal.
Nelson continued, "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 serve to punish Dalton for his actions but, importantly, also validate 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."
