Sketty man gets 18 years after being found guilty of rape

A man from Swansea has been jailed after a jury found him guilty of rape.

41-year-old Abdul Shahid, from Sketty, falsely gave his victim the impression that he was an Uber driver when he picked her up in Swansea city centre. Instead, he drove her through dark roads before stopping at a car park, where he went on to rape her.

After pleading not guilty to all charges, Shahid was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

He has been handed an extended sentence of 18 years in prison.

Detective Constable Claire Davies said:

“I would like to thank the victim in this case for coming forward and for being courageous throughout the process of this investigation. Because of her, we have been able to convict a man who is clearly a threat to women. I can only hope that this helps her to move on from this in a more positive way and gain some form of closure.

“During the trial, Abdul Shahid did not show any remorse for his actions and even tried to blame the victim for what he did. The victim was simply trying to get home and put her trust in what she thought was an Uber driver.

“If you are the victim of a sexual offence, we urge you to report it to the police as soon as possible. You will be supported, and officers will treat all reports with sensitivity and professionalism.”

We never underestimate how difficult it is for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out and report.

But we hope cases like this one provide reassurance that victims will be listened to, treated with dignity and respect, and will be supported throughout the judicial process.

If you have been sexually abused, and you are not yet ready to report to police, please don’t suffer in silence. A wealth of information and details of support services can be found here.