Off-duty cabbie raped woman he saw walking home

A taxi driver has been found guilty of raping a woman he followed home from a party.

Daniel Hayelom, 36, was convicted after a trial at Leeds Crown Court and will be sentenced on 2 May.

He was off-duty when he saw the victim, a woman in her 40s, walking along Dewsbury Road in Beeston. He parked up and took her into an alleyway at the side of a Poundland store where he attacked her.

Det Ch Insp James Entwistle, from West Yorkshire Police, said Hayelom targeted the woman as he saw her as vulnerable. "He could have helped her to get home safely but instead he chose to prey on her for his own gratification," he added.

Hayelom attacked the woman at about 06:00 on 22 October 2023, when CCTV showed him driving past and watching her from his vehicle before approaching her on foot.

He returned to his car after the rape. The woman continued home and later disclosed the incident to others who contacted the police.

Police identified Hayelom, of Clyde Approach, Armley, from the taxi registration and he was arrested later that day before being forensically linked to the offence by DNA evidence.

He denied charges of rape, sexual assault, and sexual assault by penetration but was found guilty on all counts following a trial.

After the verdict, Det Ch Insp Entwistle paid tribute to the victim: "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."

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