Driver who stalked drunk woman is jailed

Private-hire Uber driver Daniel Hayelom was jailed for raping a woman he stalked along a Leeds street. CCTV helped convict him.

- by Nick Frame

A predatory driver who stalked a drunken woman as she made her way home and then raped her in an alleyway has been jailed.

Daniel Hayelom, a private-hire Uber driver who was off duty at the time, followed a woman along the quiet streets of Beeston in the early hours of the morning, before getting out and coaxing her into a quiet walkway.

Much of the incident was caught on CCTV as he slowed down and followed the woman in his car, before getting out and approaching her.

He denied the allegations, claiming she consented, but he was found guilty of rape following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Hayelom was today handed a 16-year extended sentence after he was deemed to be a danger to women. This is made up of a 12-year custodial sentence and a four-year extended licence period.