Lotto Winner Guilty Of Child Rape

A lottery millionaire has been found guilty of serious sex offences against two schoolgirls. David Dyas, 52, of Newbridge, south Wales, was found guilty of one charge of rape and three indecent assaults. He was cleared of one charge of rape.

The offences happened several years before Dyas won “several million pounds” in 1998. The jury at Cardiff Crown Court is still deliberating on another charge of rape. The court had previously heard evidence from two women, now in their 20s, who said Dyas abused them between the ages of eight and 12.

One of his victims took 15 years before gaining the courage to contact police, the jury was told.

Martyn Kelly, prosecuting, said Mr Dyas – who denied three charges of rape and five charges of indecent assault – worked as a mechanic at the time. It was years later that he won the lottery jackpot but few were aware of his new-found wealth.

The jury was told that before the trial started even some members of his family did not know the scale of his win as he had requested no publicity. Mr Kelly told the court that the complaints were made in 2005, seven years after Mr Dyas’ jackpot win.

Referring to the length of time Dyas’ victims took to contact the police, he said: “She was very scared but didn’t tell anyone for a very long time. “He abused her a number of times but matters became more serious when he took her to a local beauty spot where he raped her in bushes. A similar incident occurred in a house.”

He said the defendant gave her £2 and told her: “This is our little secret.” Mr Kelly said: “She remembers him putting his hand over her mouth to stop her crying. He also called that girl a whore and made her walk home from where he had driven her.”

When questioned by police, Mr Dyas “denied absolutely” that anything sexual took place. One of the complainants had told the court: “This is not to do with compensation. I don’t want his stinking money, I’ve never asked him for a penny.”