PEVENSEY MAN GRAHAM HEAD SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE
Graham Head, from Pevensey, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in July 2023 after being found guilty of attempting to sexually assault two women while impersonating a taxi driver in Brighton.Head, aged 66 and living on Coast Road, Pevensey, was seen patrolling Sussex streets in a silver Mercedes estate, searching for vulnerable women to target.
On Monday, 24 July, at Hove Crown Court, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a further five years on extended licence, requiring him to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
His arrest followed an incident on 18 November 2022, when a woman in her twenties reported waking in a vehicle she believed was a taxi, during which she was sexually assaulted.
She had initially entered the vehicle while thinking it was a cab taking her from Brighton to Hove.
She escaped and called police shortly after 3:10 am, providing three digits of the vehicle’s registration.
Officers quickly found the silver Mercedes estate and stopped it in Preston Circus after a brief chase.
Head was apprehended at the scene.
This arrest was linked to an earlier investigation from 19 August 2022, when a teenage woman reported being dragged into bushes at Hove Park by a man who had offered her a lift from Brighton.
The man attempted to rape her but fled when her phone rang.
CCTV footage from that period showed the victim approaching a silver Mercedes estate, which was later identified through city centre CCTV and doorbell footage as driving slowly near Hove Park.
Further investigations revealed that Head’s internet searches included queries about tracking mobile phones turned off and information on nightclub timings in Brighton, East Sussex, and Surrey, as well as details about student nights.
Authorities also found in his car latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets, and a balaclava.
His phone had been placed in flight mode during the incidents.
On 2 June, Head was convicted in Hove Crown Court of kidnapping, attempted rape, and assault by penetration.
Judge Jeremy Gold described him as a ‘sexual predator’ presenting an ongoing risk to women and praised the prompt actions of his second victim, which led to his apprehension.
