Yuseab Woldeab, 27, of Plymouth’s Wilton Street, was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of kidnapping.
The victim, a woman in her twenties, had been out with friends on the evening of Sunday, April 24. She returned home alone in the early hours of Monday, April 25, after spending several hours drinking in bars and then at a friend’s house.
CCTV footage obtained by detectives from the morning of the attack shows the victim stumbling along the pavement before a three-door Ford Fiesta registered to Woldeab passes her as she walks down Union Street.
More video shows the same vehicle pulling into Octagon Street and parking while the victim walks down the street.
The victim continues to walk towards Devonport, unaware of the van. After a brief pause, the vehicle makes a U-turn and continues down Union Street in the same direction as the victim.
The driver is seen pulling up next to the victim around 4am. Woldeab then identified himself as a taxi driver and offered to drive her home.
The victim is seen getting into the front passenger seat as the vehicle starts driving away before she can close the door.
The victim was blacking out due to intoxication, according to the court.
Woldeab drove the victim to his Wilton Street home and placed her on his bed, where he raped her before leaving the room. The victim, seeing this as an opportunity to flee, flees the house.
When the woman returned to her address, she messaged a friend for assistance, disclosing what had happened to her.
The victim called the police the next day, saying she had no idea who the man was or where he took her. Officers conducted immediate inquiries, leading to Woldeab’s arrest within 30 hours of receiving the initial report.
Woldeab was arrested and charged with the offences.
This was a truly horrifying and disturbing crime,” said DS Chris Kinski of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team.
Because the victim was intoxicated, Woldeab could see that she was vulnerable. He took full advantage of this when approaching her that night. Prior to spotting her, we believe he had been prowling the streets looking for a victim.
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I’d like to thank the victim for her incredible bravery in reporting this to us. We understand that this was not an easy task and that she was concerned about not being believed; however, we take all reports of this nature very seriously and are fully committed to supporting survivors of sexual abuse.” I have no doubt that what happened that night will haunt the victim for the rest of her life. “I hope that this sentencing provides her with some closure so that she can move forward with the same courage and determination that she has shown throughout this process.” We would like to encourage anyone who is suffering in silence to come forward. As demonstrated by this case, you will be believed and supported, and together we will hold offenders accountable for their crimes.”
This was a shocking case in which the defendant deliberately targeted and abducted a lone, vulnerable young woman before subjecting her to an appalling attack,” said Rebecca Sutherland, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS South West.
Woldeab pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and two counts of rape, but thanks to the excellent work of the police investigation team and the victim’s bravery in telling her story, the CPS was able to build a compelling case that resulted in the jury convicting on all three charges.
“The CPS is working closely with our partners in the police to develop closer joint working on rape investigations to drive up the number of successful prosecutions and deliver justice for victims. We want every victim to feel confident that their case will be thoroughly investigated by the police and that the Crown Prosecution Service will charge and prosecute in every case where our legal tests are met.”