Radiet Meles, a 35-year-old Eritrean illegal immigrant and registered sex offender, was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court of raping a woman on a night out after previously being freed from a five-year prison sentence for attempted rape, according to reporting by Daily Mail reporter Will Hallowell.
Trial and Conviction at Cardiff Crown Court
Meles faced a five-day trial at Cardiff Crown Court where a jury found him guilty of rape and assault by beating, according to Daily Mail court reports. He had denied both charges following his arrest in March of this year, which followed police reports of an attack on a separate woman. Prosecutor Heath Edwards detailed the case to the jury, utilizing a Tigrinya interpreter to assist the defendant during court proceedings.
Prior Conviction and Release Circumstances
The conviction follows a previous sentence Meles served for the attempted rape of an unconscious woman at a house party in Newport, South Wales, in August 2018. During his 2019 sentencing, Judge Christopher Vosper QC noted that Meles had taken advantage of a heavily intoxicated victim who was unconscious, telling the offender that a deportation order was likely to be made by the Home Secretary upon his release. Despite that expectation, Meles was allowed to return to Newport after serving his five-year sentence and was not being monitored, according to court disclosures reported by Daily Mail.
Background and Immigration History
Meles arrived in the United Kingdom in 2015 after hiding in a lorry and traveling through the Channel Tunnel, according to court testimony cited by Daily Mail. After spending two days in custody, he relocated to Newport, where he worked at a car wash and an Amazon distribution center prior to his initial 2019 arrest and subsequent conviction.
Pending Sentencing
Meles, residing on West Park Road in Newport, is scheduled to appear for sentencing in November and faces a lengthy custodial term, according to Daily Mail. Jurors at his initial 2019 trial were informed that Meles speaks minimal English and faced a burdensome prison experience due to the distance from his home country.
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