Latest news with #LewesCrownCourt
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Fabio Botros: Brighton teen gets date for trial over dad's murder
A trial date has been set for a teenager accused of murdering his father in Botros, 19, was charged in April with the murder of 57-year-old Emad Samir Botros Farag and the attempted murder of a woman and an 11-year-old Crown Court set Botros' 10-day trial for 1 October at a hearing on of Brighton, has not yet entered pleas and will next appear in court on 30 July. The teenager appeared at the hearing via video-link from Hellingly Hospital in East Sussex and spoke to confirm his name. Sussex Police previously said the 11-year-old and the woman were taken to hospital after the incident but soon after discharged. Additional reporting by PA Media.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Predator who carried ‘rape kit' while posing as Uber driver to attack young women found guilty of kidnap and sex assault
A VILE sex predator carried a "rape kit" while posing as an Uber driver to attack his victims. Graham Head was today found guilty of attempting to rape one woman and sexually assaulting another in attacks around Brighton and Hove. 5 5 In July 2023, the 68-year-old was sentenced to 23 years behind bars for kidnap, attempted rape and assault by penetration relating to two female victims. But the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction in November 2024 after a complaint from the sex predator concerning the Judge who had ruled in the first trial. Head appeared at Lewes Crown Court for his retrial today, where a jury again found him guilty of all counts. The twisted fake taxi driver is set to be sentenced on August 25. Shocking footage of Head's arrest in 2022 showed the moment he was stopped by cops with a "rape" kit. Jurors at Lewes Crown Court previously heard how a 25-year-old female victim had managed to read his number plate after being attacked. The woman reported waking up in a car, which she thought was a taxi, to find a man sexually assaulting her. She had gotten into the car earlier that night, to travel from Brighton to Hove. The victim escaped at around 3am and called 999 to report being assaulted by a man in latex gloves and a Covid mask. The court was told Head was a "sexual predator" who "slipped up" the night he was arrested. In footage shown to jurors, police can be seen talking to the 68-year-old after pulling him over in Brighton. As he is speaking, police decide to search his car where they found latex gloves, viagra, condoms and a balaclava that formed a rape kit. When asked why he had the condoms and viagra, Head said: "I'm a normal red blooded male". Police also found business cards advertising him as a "N-Uber driver" that had the slogan "Safe and Reliable - For All Occasions". Head was also found guilty of assaulting a 19-year-old woman he picked up near Hove Park. She was pulled into bushes where the predator attempted to rape her, after the victim initially took a lift from him. The two attacks took place in the early hours of August 19 and November 18, 2022. Detective Constable Elliott Lander from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team said: 'Graham Head has twice tried to evade justice for his despicable crimes, and now twice been convicted by separate juries. 'His refusal to accept responsibility for his offending has forced his victims to relive the traumatic attacks carried out by him. The impact on them and their families cannot be overstated, and I commend all involved for their strength and courage in such challenging circumstances. 'Head will remain in prison, as he has throughout this process, as we await resentencing.' One of Head's victims, a 25-year-old woman, tragically passed away last year. Her heartbroken mum released the following emotional statement: "Regardless of the outcome of this trial and independently of the jury's verdicts on each of the charges that Graham Head has just faced, I want to say a few words on behalf of my daughter. "My (only) daughter tragically died in late 2024 – a couple days after being informed by the CPS that Graham Head had been successful in appealing his conviction for kidnap of my daughter and for causing serious sexual harm to her and to another even younger female victim. "I feel strongly that I need to protect the anonymity of my own and my daughter's friends and the families and friends of Graham Head's victims. "However, I want to recognise and say my own deep thanks for the strong and compassionate support that my daughter, myself, and our family have received from the Police, the CPS, the witness service, and the Courts over the past two years. "This retrial process has been tremendously difficult and a huge strain for all of us; we're glad it is now over. "I'm especially grateful for the attuned support of the Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT) and the Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) service who supported my daughter every step of the way through the challenges of bringing this man to justice on both trials. "Looking to my family's future following my daughter's death, my biggest hope is that other families can now hopefully feel much safer knowing that this dangerous man is no longer able to predate and attack any other vulnerable young local woman thanks to his deserved (re)conviction for these appalling offences. "My other hope is that, if there are other young women who feel they may have narrowly escaped or fallen victim to this sexual predator, then they will hopefully be reassured by my daughter's and our family's experience that they will be listened to, supported, and well cared for by the Police and Court systems." 5 5
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Predator, 66, who posed as an Uber driver and had a 'rape kit' with a balaclava and Viagra in his car is found guilty of kidnapping and sex crimes
A predator who posed as an Uber driver to pick up 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women he could abuse has been found guilty of kidnapping and sex crimes for a second time. Graham Head, 68, was found with a 'rape kit' consisting of latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his car when he was arrested in November 2022. At his home, police found business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable - For All Occasions' emblazoned underneath one of his phone numbers. Head kidnapped and attempted to rape a 25-year-old woman after he offered her a free ride home in his silver Mercedes in the early hours of November 18, 2022. He also assaulted a 19-year-old woman by penetration in a separate attack. In July 2023, Head from Pevensey, East Sussex, was handed a 23-year sentence for sex crimes and kidnapping. The Court of Appeal later overturned the conviction in November last year following a complaint from Head relating to the judge who presided over the original trial. Now, today he has been convicted of all the charges again by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. 'He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements. He therefore kept them on flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19, 2022, in Hove Park and on November 18, 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. 'When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19, 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton, where the victim left Monarch Bar, to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘Unofficial Uber' driver guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape and sexual assault
A driver found guilty of posing as an 'unofficial Uber' to pick up 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women he could abuse is facing jail. Graham Head, 68, had latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested in November 2022. In his home, business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' were emblazoned with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable – For All Occasions' underneath one of his phone numbers. Head, of Pevensey, East Sussex, denied kidnapping and the attempted rape of a 25-year-old woman, along with assault by penetration of a 19-year-old woman. On Thursday, he was convicted of all charges by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements so kept them in flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19 2022, in Hove Park and November 18 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton, where the victim left Monarch Bar, to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22 2025.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Moment van driver smashes into broken-down car after checking phone
A man suffered devastating, life-changing injuries, including a leg amputation, after a distracted van driver crashed into his broken-down car on the A27 in December 2023. The driver, Nathan Cole, was checking his phone and speeding at 72mph, exceeding his van's limit, when he collided with the vehicle and the man in his 60s standing nearby. Footage released by Sussex Police showed Cole's dangerous driving leading up to the incident. Cole, 29, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court to two years and four months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years and four months. Watch the video in full above.
