A rapist, Daniel Hayelom, has been convicted of raping a woman in Leeds after trailing her as she returned home from a party. Daniel Hayelom, an off-duty private hire driver, pursued the victim upon observing her walking along Dewsbury Road in Beeston soon after 6 a.m. on Sunday, October 22, 2023.
CCTV footage saw him driving by and observing the victim from his vehicle before he parked on Dewsbury Road and approached her on foot.
He initiated a discussion with her and thereafter led her into an alley adjacent to the Poundland store on Tunstall Road, where he assaulted her sexually.
He departed with the victim before abandoning her and returned to his vehicle. The victim proceeded home and subsequently informed others, who then alerted the police.
Detectives from the West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team initiated an investigation, which involved reviewing CCTV footage in the vicinity to track the victim’s activities.
CCTV evidence depicted Daniel Hayelom trailing the victim in his taxi before to confronting her on foot.
The vehicle’s registration was confirmed, and he was apprehended later that day. He was subsequently forensically connected to the crime by DNA obtained from the victim.
He was subsequently charged with rape and appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court on October 26, 2023.
The victim, aged in her forties, had been drinking at the party and the prosecution case was that she was too drunk to consent to any sexual activity.
Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, Daniel Hayelom has today been convicted by unanimous jury verdict.
The 36-year-old of Clyde Approach, Armley, is due to be sentenced on Friday 2nd May.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: “Daniel Hayelom targeted the victim as someone he saw as being vulnerable at the time. He could have helped her to get home safely but instead he chose to prey on her for his own gratification.
“His actions have had a significant traumatic impact on the victim, and we commend her for the courage and mental fortitude she has shown during the investigation and the court process that has resulted in his conviction.
“We hope she can find some degree of comfort in seeing him held criminally accountable for what he did to her.
“Women and girls should be safe to live their lives free from the fear of violence and harassment, and we remain fully committed to working alongside our partner agencies to make the county a safer place. Taking dangerous offenders like Daniel Hayelom off the streets will always remain a key part of our work to keep women and girls safe.
“Our professional and sensitive handling of this investigation should help to demonstrate to others how seriously we will always treat offences of this nature.”
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