Man accused of raping three women over two decades faces court trial

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A man from Carmarthenshire has appeared in court facing allegations of raping three women over a span of two decades. Daniel Gravelle, 43, of Porth Y Plas, Johnstown, stands accused of committing these assaults in 2002, 2005, and 2022, charges which he denies. The trial is currently underway at Swansea Crown Court.

During his opening remarks, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe detailed that two of the alleged assaults occurred when the victims were “hopelessly and helplessly” intoxicated. The first alleged victim attended a friend’s party in 2002, where Gravelle made her two cocktails before she planned to go to a venue in Carmarthen. By the time she reached the venue, she felt extremely unwell and was given a lift back to her friend’s house, where she was helped to bed after becoming sick.

The jury heard that at around 4.15 a.m., the woman felt pressure on her chest and found Gravelle on top of her. Despite telling him to get off, she lacked the strength to resist, while Gravelle told her it was “ok” and claimed to be her ex-boyfriend before returning to the party. Later, he allegedly boasted to a mutual friend that he had “dialed” the woman, laughing about it.

The second incident, from 2005, involved another woman who was out with friends and started talking to Gravelle outside a pub near a rugby club. Gravelle reportedly pulled her arm and dragged her into a secluded area, pushing her head down to avoid being seen through a window.

The most recent accusation dates to February 5, 2022, when the final alleged victim had been out with her sister at bars in Carmarthen but could not recall anything after arriving at the second venue. She woke up alone in her bed feeling very unwell and having been sick, noticing a burning sensation “down there,” which led her to take the morning after pill.

The jury was told that beer cans and white powder she did not recognize were found downstairs. In videos shown to the jury, the woman expressed feeling ashamed that she did not know what had happened. The prosecutor emphasized, “Her condition speaks for itself and she wasn’t able to consent.” Gravelle, when arrested, admitted to meeting the woman at the bar and having sex but insisted it was consensual.

The court also viewed two videos of the victim speaking to police officers after the incident, along with 11 pieces of CCTV and phone footage from the night. The videos showed the victim arriving at a bar, dancing with Gravelle, then moving to a nightclub where they danced and kissed before leaving together in a taxi. The trial is ongoing.