GUILTY OF RAPE: Police release shocking video of Leeds private hire vehicle driver stalking victim before assault
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A private hire driver has been convicted of raping a woman in Leeds after following her as she walked home from a party.
Daniel Hayelom, aged 36, was off-duty when he targeted the victim in the early hours of Sunday 22 October 2023. The incident happened on Dewsbury Road in Beeston shortly after 6am.
CCTV footage showed Hayelom driving past the woman in his licensed vehicle before pulling over and approaching her on foot. He spoke to her before leading her into an alleyway beside the Poundland store on Tunstall Road, where the attack took place.
Hayelom then walked briefly with the woman before leaving her and returning to his vehicle. The victim later told others about the incident, who then contacted police.
Officers from West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team launched an investigation. CCTV helped identify Hayelom’s movements and the vehicle used. He was arrested later that same day.
Forensic tests linked him to the offence through DNA found on the victim. The court heard the woman, who is in her forties, had been drinking and was too intoxicated to give consent.
Hayelom, of Clyde Approach in Armley, was charged with rape and appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 26 October 2023. Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, he was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict.
He is due to be sentenced on Friday 2 May.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, said: “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 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."
