Rape victim died day after giving evidence against her attacker

A WOMAN who was raped and beaten before being dumped in a lift died the day after giving evidence against her attacker, a court has heard.

- JASON EVANS

Dominik Szymanski had met his vulnerable victim in Swansea city centre and took her back to his flat where he raped and assaulted her before dragging her out of the property half-naked and “hurling” her into the lift.

The defendant kept hold of the woman's dog and arranged to sell it.

Szymanski denied rape and assault, saying no sexual activity took place and no sexual activity could have taken place as he was incapable of maintaining an erection.

The 47-year-old was convicted of rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a 10-day trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard that the day after the victim gave evidence and was cross-examined she was found dead. An inquest is yet to establish a cause of death.

The court heard that the defendant and the complainant met on Swansea's High Street on September 2 last year. Both had their dogs with them and they began talking, drinking, and smoking cannabis before going back to Szymanski’s nearby flat.

At the flat the defendant then subjected his victim to violence and raped her during the prolonged incident. He was subsequently caught on CCTV in the block of flats dragging the “stupefied” woman out of the flat and “hurling” her into a lift.

The court heard the woman believed she had been “spiked” but that samples were not taken in time to allow tests to be done.