Nine years for Plymouth rapist

He pleaded not guilty at trial

A PhD student from Plymouth has been jailed after he raped and assaulted a woman.

Following a four-day trial, 31-year-old Dayan Garcia previously from Mariners Court in the city, was found guilty and jailed at Plymouth Crown Court for two counts of rape and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

During the trial, the jury heard how the victim had been out with friends on the night of 29 April 2022, before finding herself separated from them. The victim then met Garcia at the Mabo nightclub and agreed to go back to his address at around 2 a.m. the following morning.

Once they were both back at the address, Garcia struck the woman twice after she refused his advances, and then raped her.

Further enquiries into the incident showed that Garcia took multiple photos of the victim without her knowing whilst the attack was taking place.

The victim managed to flee the scene and get to safety.

The day after, police were able to identify Garcia and arrested him. 

Before the start of his trial on Tuesday 27 September, Garcia changed his plea to guilty for the offence of ABH, but not guilty of the two counts of rape, but the jury unanimously convicted him of both charges.

Detective Sergeant Ed Carr said: “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.”

Where to go for support

If you need help relating to sexual abuse, look below at a 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