Man jailed for rape
A PhD student has been jailed today, Thursday 6 October, for nine years after being found guilty of raping and assaulting a woman in Plymouth.
Following a four-day trial at Plymouth Crown Court, Dayan Garcia, aged 31 and previously from Mariners Court, Plymouth, was jailed for two counts of rape and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).
The jury heard how the victim had been out with friends on the night of 29 April when she found herself separated from them. The victim then met Garcia at some point in the night at Mambo nightclub and agreed to go back to his address at around 2am on 30 April.
Once back at the house, Garcia, who was a PhD student at the time of the assault, struck the victim twice to the head after she refused his advances towards her, causing facial injuries. So much was the force he used, the victim had feared for her life. Garcia then proceeded to rape her.
Further enquiries showed that Garcia had taken multiple photographs of the victim without her knowledge while the attack was taking place.
The victim managed to flee the scene, with the offender’s phone, and get to safety.
Officers carried out fast track enquiries which ultimately led to his identification and arrest on the evening of the 30 April 2022. He was remanded the next day for two counts of rape and one count of ABH.
Prior to the trial starting on Tuesday 27 September, Garcia changed his plea to guilty to the ABH offence, but not guilty of the two counts of rape.
At the end of the four-day trail, the jury came to a unanimous verdict of guilty for the two counts of rape.
“Devon and Cornwall Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) welcome the custodial sentence of Dayan GARCIA for the serious offences for which he stood trial.
“We would like to recognise the bravery of the victim in both coming forward to report these significantly traumatising offences and for providing detailed accounts of what happened, both at the time of the offence and during the trial.
“We would also like to thank the witnesses who gave supporting evidence in this case. Without the support of the general public and a willingness to attend court, these convictions would be more difficult to secure.
“We recognise the tenacity of the specialist staff from both the police and the CPS in investigating these matters and building a strong case for presentation at trial and in providing a high level of support to the victim both before and during the trial process.
“Both our agencies are determined to support victims of rape through the initial reporting and onto trial. We actively encourage the reporting of these matters so they can be investigated by our combined specialist resources.
“We would also like to recognise the support of our partner agencies who have offered independent support for victim throughout this process including the hard work of the First Light charity and Plymouth SARC.
“The results of this collaborative work is evident today with a custodial sentence imposed and with the jury having come back with unanimous guilty verdicts for both counts of rape.”
If you require help or assistance relating to sexual abuse, please look at the below list of helplines.
- National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999
- Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626
- Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212
- Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900
- Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174
In an emergency, always call 999 and in a non-emergency please visit www.dc.police.uk/contact.
