Former teacher Daniel Gravell jailed for raping teenager

A former restaurant manager and teacher who has the “potential to be a predatory offender” has been jailed after being found guilty of raping a woman in a house in Carmarthen more than 20 years ago.

Daniel Gravell, 43, from Carmarthen, raped the then-19-year-old following a gathering at a property in 2002. She told the sentencing hearing on Monday, June 23, that she had felt shame ever since the incident.

The victim, now in her 40s, read an impact statement from the witness box. She said: “What he did to me is unforgivable and now is the time that he needs to take responsibility for his actions.

"On the night I was raped I was extremely vulnerable. I know I haven’t done anything wrong, but shame is something I continue to feel. I realise how much of my time over the years has been wasted. I’m so angry about how his behaviour has shaped mine since it happened.”

She described how she would see Gravell, and his vehicle, around Carmarthen. “I always found this very difficult and uncomfortable”, having to see his “awful face”.

The victim added: “Informing my family of what happened to me was very difficult. The look on my brother’s face will stay with me forever. What he (Gravell) did to me is unforgivable and now is the time that he needs to take responsibility for his actions.”

The victim admitted that she has “not been the best parent” or the “best wife” over the past few years as she has been dealing with the trauma of the rape case. “Not only has my personal life suffered but also my professional life”.

She concluded by saying: “I feel sad that he has not been able to do the right thing by pleading guilty. I have done the right thing and been open and honest about everything and I now can be at peace with myself.”

Gravell