Horror as man kicks, drags and rapes woman in her flat and then steals her dog

A man in Wales has been jailed for raping a woman after she refused to have sex with him, South Wales Police has reported. Dominik Szymanski, 47, from Swansea, punched, kicked and dragged the victim at his flat on Matthew Street on September 2, 2025. He had met the victim for the first time on the day of the assault.

The court heard that the day after the victim gave evidence and was cross-examined, she was found dead. An inquest is yet to establish a cause of death. Szymanski was found guilty of rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and theft in May. He has now been sentenced to 16 years in prison and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Szymanski initially denied rape and assault, claiming no sexual activity could have taken place as he was incapable of maintaining an erection, reports Wales Online.

He kept his victim’s dog and arranged to sell it in the days after the attack. However, the woman was eventually reunited with her pet.

In a statement read to the court by the victim’s mother, it was heard that her daughter was an animal lover who was devoted to her dog.

The mother said her daughter looked “broken” and “in a state of despair” after the rape and theft of her beloved companion, and said it was only after the safe return of the dog that her daughter began thinking about herself and what had happened to her.

The mum said her daughter had worked hard to tackle her addiction issues and that she dreamt of travelling to distant places and had drawn up a bucket list of things she wanted to do in life.

The mother said, regardless of what any court may find, she believed that the actions of Szymanski led her daughter to return to drugs and to her death.

She said: “In my eyes, his actions killed my child”.

Judge Geraint Walters described the case as “disturbing”, adding that Szymanski had seen the woman as a “vulnerable individual who he could take advantage of”, and that he had set his mind to having sex with her.

The judge said that despite her difficulties over the years with drinking and drugs, he found the complainant to be a “most compelling and honest witness”.

Detective Constable Claire Davies said his victim had “little means of defending herself”.

She added: “This was a prolonged and significant attack enacted by a truly despicable offender against a vulnerable woman who had little means of defending herself.

“This sentence sends a hugely positive message to victims of sexual abuse that they will be believed, their attackers will be identified, and they will be brought to justice.

“Despite the victim no longer being able to see that justice has been done for her in court, this result is of great relief to her family and friends; they have seen Dominik Szymanski being held accountable for his actions and duly punished.”