Gravell denies rape charges as jury hears new allegations
Former teacher Daniel Gravell, serving nine years for a 2002 rape, tells a Swansea Crown Court jury he will never accept guilt while facing three new rape counts and an indecent assault charge.
Daniel Gravell, a 44‑year‑old former teacher from Porth Y Plas, Johnstown, Carmarthen, told a Swansea Crown Court jury he will “never accept I was guilty” as he continues to deny three rape counts and an indecent assault charge.
The trial, overseen by Judge Paul Thomas KC, has spanned two weeks and sees the jury hearing testimony from three complainants whose allegations stretch from 2001 to 2021.
Gravell, already serving a nine‑year sentence for a 2002 rape conviction handed down in May 2025, was cross‑examined by prosecuting barrister Matthew Cobbe.
During his own evidence, Gravell described his sex life at the time of the alleged offences as involving “a lot of consensual, casual sex”.
He added, “I wouldn’t have done it [rape] anyway, but didn’t need to,” rejecting any suggestion that he forced a sexual encounter.
The first allegation concerns an incident at Gravell’s Johnstown home in 2001, where the complainant says he restrained her after a kiss before raping her.
Gravell maintains the episode never occurred, insisting the encounter was consensual.
The second charge relates to a 2005 incident near Carmarthen Athletic Club. The complainant told the jury she was dragged into a secluded area and raped, describing feeling “hopeless” in a police interview played in court.
Gravell denied dragging the teenager behind the club and insisted the sexual activity was consensual.
That same 2005 allegation featured in Gravell’s 2025 trial, where jurors could not reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered.
The third alleged rape took place at the Baltic Hotel in Carmarthenshire in 2021. Prosecutors say Gravell showed the woman around the premises, locked a bedroom door and raped her.
Again, Gravell denies any wrongdoing, claiming the encounter was consensual.
In addition to the three rape counts, the prosecution has added an indecent assault charge linked to the 2021 incident.
The jury has also been reminded of Gravell’s earlier court history. He was acquitted of a rape charge in 2016, and in 2025 he was convicted of raping a 19‑year‑old woman in Carmarthen for an offence committed in 2002, receiving nine years’ imprisonment alongside a voyeurism conviction.
When asked about that conviction, Gravell acknowledged the jury’s finding but reiterated his denial, stating, “I will never accept I was guilty.”
Judge Thomas explained at the start of the trial that the jury would be informed of Gravell’s previous convictions, but that the current case must be judged on its own evidence.
Prosecutors have presented detailed accounts from the three complainants, supported by recorded police interviews and forensic evidence, while the defence has focused on inconsistencies and the absence of physical proof.
Gravell’s cross‑examination highlighted his claim of a consensual lifestyle, seeking to cast doubt on the notion of coercion.
The jury, now having heard the full range of testimony, will deliberate on whether the evidence proves beyond reasonable doubt that Gravell committed the offences.
The trial continues, with the court set to deliver a verdict in the coming days.