A fake Uber driver who roamed the streets with a makeshift ‘rape kit’ containing Viagra, latex gloves, a balaclava and baby oil as he sought to assault women has been jailed for 23 years.
Sex predator Graham Head posed as a taxi driver as he stalked the streets of Brighton in his silver Mercedes estate to attack defenseless young women.
Head was responsible for a series of terrifying nighttime attacks but was finally arrested after one of his victims memorized part of his personalized number plate while driving around the seaside town in a Covid facemask.
Detectives who arrested Head found items in his car, including Viagra, latex gloves, a balaclava and baby oil. They also found pepper spray and an extended baton at his home, with police fearing there are more victims who have yet to come forward.
Head, from Pevensey, East Sussex, has been jailed by a jury at Hove Trial Center after being found guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape and sexual assault.
Graham Head posed as a taxi driver to take advantage of vulnerable women
Head was arrested wearing a facemask while driving around Brighton
Head was caught when one of his victims remembered his personalized number plate
The court heard that police investigating the attempted rape of a woman in Brighton in August 2022 were alerted to another sexual assault in November.
In the early hours of August 19, a woman in her teenage years was dragged into the head bush. After giving her a lift from Brighton to the park, he tries to rape her. He fled when his phone rang, the jury heard.
On November 18, a woman in her 20s woke up in what she believed was a taxi to find a man sexually assaulting her. Kicked in the head in the groin, he managed to escape.
He called the police at around 3.10am and managed to remember the three numbers on his silver Mercedes Estate number plate.
Judge Jeremy Gold Casey praised the 20-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, for her presence of mind in memorizing part of the plate number.
“Without that, he wouldn’t have been arrested and we wouldn’t be where we are today,” he said.
Head told victims he was a taxi driver and designed his business card to look like he worked with Uber.
Prosecutor Ryan Richter said Head was responsible for the horrific nighttime attacks on vulnerable women.
Hunter cruises the streets of Brighton in his silver Mercedes estate
Head drives around the streets late at night in his silver Mercedes looking for women to assault
Head car is detoured. The grab shows fake Uber drivers prowling the streets late at night looking for vulnerable young women to attack
In a victim statement, one woman said the physical effects of her assault were temporary, but ‘the psychological effects were not.’
The young woman said she was often overwhelmed and still struggled to stay out at night. Head’s second victim was so traumatized he was unable to make a statement, Mr. Richter said.
HHJ told Goldhead: ‘You had a habit of driving around in the early hours of the morning looking for weak, intoxicated young women. You were posing as a good Samaritan. Instead you were a sex predator.’
Head was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a five-year dangerousness enhancement on each of the three counts to be served concurrently. He will be eligible for parole after serving at least 12 years in prison, Judge Gould said.
The judge praised police for their painstaking work in using CCTV, number plate cameras, phone data and banking records from around Brighton to give jurors a full picture of Head’s activities.
This video grab shows dashcam footage of the moment Head was chased by police
This police dashcam capture shows the moment Head is pulled over by officers
He was wearing a mask when the police took him away. Police found an extended stick and incapacitating spray when they searched his home in Pevensey, East Sussex. Investigators used footage from CCTV and doorbell cameras to piece together head movements.
Francesca Levett, defending, said he was a vivacious, vivacious, family man who had long-term health problems. There is recurrent meningitis in the head and a non-functioning brain aneurysm, he said.
Detective Constable Elliott Lander, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: ‘Graham Head is a predatory criminal who gained the trust of these victims as a taxi driver, only to take advantage of vulnerable women in the most despicable ways.
‘Items found in his car show the ruthless, pre-meditated nature of his crimes as he drove through Brighton and Hove in search of potential victims. Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of these two women, we were able to quickly connect Head to both incidents and bring him to justice. I would like to thank them both for their support during this investigation. Without them, this dangerous person can still grow.
Instead, he has been brought to justice and the streets of Brighton and Hove are safer as a result. We believe Head may have more victims who have yet to come forward.’
Anyone with information is asked to contact police online or via 101, citing Operation Cooper.
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