A taxi driver took advantage of a female passenger's drunken condition, going on a “detour” to rape her in a secluded cemetery car park before dropping her at home.

The heavily intoxicated woman was put in the taxi by a friend, following a night out to celebrate a birthday, with the driver David Greaves given the instruction to take her straight home.

Durham Crown Court heard that a trip which should have taken between five and ten minutes lasted almost an hour before the passenger, oblivious to what had taken place on the journey, was dropped at home and helped to bed by a family member.

On waking the following morning, she had little recollection of the events of the previous night, but, due to internal soreness, she began to have her suspicions.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said she was terrified she had been taken advantage of by the taxi driver on the journey home.

Greaves was contacted and accepted having had sexual intercourse with the woman.

Horrified at the thought, the woman contacted the police and, when arrested and interviewed, Greaves again confirmed having had sex with her on the journey to her home.

Mr Cleasby said he gave police, “an account of a long-running sexual encounter, going into graphic details, minimising her level of drunkenness”.

He said Greaves' version of events suggested the woman was, an “enthusiastic” participant in the sexual activity.

The now 42-year-old defendant, of Wansbeck Close, Spennymoor, was charged with rape and denied the allegation, maintaining his account that it was a consensual encounter.

Following a five-day trial at the court, in late May, he was convicted on the jury verdict.

He was remanded in custody pending preparation of a background probation report prior to sentence being passed, at the court on Thursday (July 11).

Mr Cleasby told the sentencing hearing the defendant had taken advantage of the victim’s, “extremely vulnerable state”.

He said: “It was a protracted incident with a degree of planning, driving her to a car park of a secluded cemetery to carry out the attack.”

Mr Cleasby said it was an “abuse of trust”, with a significant degree of planning, awaiting the opportunity to carry out a sexual attack.

He then read the victim’s impact statement in which she said the incident had, “changed my life forever”.

She said she had gone through periods of self-loathing and disgust, low confidence and esteem, as well as suffering panic attacks and depression and being hyper-vigilant, “seeing danger everywhere,” with major trust issues.

The court heard she has also suffered from severe migraines and turned to alcohol more than usual to try to cope.

But she has also struggled to sleep and when she does, she is prone to having nightmares.

Stuart Duke, in mitigation, told the court the position of the defendant remains the same, maintaining his innocence.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

“But he accepts he was convicted by the jury and will receive a significant term of imprisonment.

“He regards his life as effectively over and is very pessimistic about his future.

“He has no previous convictions and has never been to prison before.

“He’s found his time as a vulnerable prisoner extremely distressing and difficult.

“It will be many years before he will be at liberty.”

Mr Duke said despite his lack of past convictions, the defendant was classed as, “a dangerous offender” by the author of the Probation Service report.

Judge Jo Kidd told Greaves: “I take the view that you continue to hold a thoroughly delusional and incorrect view of the predatory rape you carried out on the victim in this case.”

She said he would have been aware of the victim’s vulnerabilities at the time of the pick-up.

“They couldn’t have been more obvious to you.

“You drove her to a secluded area some distance from her home.

“No one will ever know what you did to her when she was in that secluded, dark area, in that taxi with you.

“It’s an understandable source of trauma to your victim.”

The judge said Greaves, “took no account, whatsoever, of her bodily autonomy and her right to choose with who and when and where she would engage in sexual activity.

“Your delusional attitude continues to be disturbing.

“The way you described that sexual activity seemed to contain elements of relish, enjoying the description.

“Understandably, the probation report author’s view is that you pose a danger despite having no previous convictions.

“There was an element of abduction and this was a sustained incident.

“The victim was particularly vulnerable and has endured severe psychological harm.”

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Judge Kidd, therefore, imposed an extended sentence of 15 years, with a 12-year custodial element, to be followed by a three-year licence period.

She told Greaves he must serve at least two-thirds of the custodial period, eight years, before being eligible for consideration for release by the Parole Board.

Judge Kidd also made the defendant subject to an unlimited restraining order, prohibiting him from ever contacting or approaching his victim.

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He will also be subject to notification as a sex offender for an unlimited period and entered on the barring list from ever working with children or vulnerable adults.

Judge Kidd said she did not feel it necessary to impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, the terms of which would have sought to ban him from driving taxis in future, as, by way of his conviction, he will not be permitted to hold a licence for such work in future.

Having told the defendant to return to his wing to begin serving his sentence, Judge Kidd thanked the victim and her family for the “dignity and courage” they have shown during the court proceedings.