Brave sex assault victim fought off attacker and texted pal 'I'm being raped' after being dragged into bushes in a park at 4am, court hears
A 19-year-old woman sent a text message to a friend saying 'I am being raped' after being picked up by a fake Uber driver and into dragged into bushes in a park, a court heard.
The woman had been on a night out when she was allegedly approached by 'sexual predator' Graham Head, jurors were told.
Head, 68, is accused of posing as an 'unofficial Uber' to target 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women.
Lewes Crown Court heard he was found with latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested.
In his home were business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable - For All Occasions' underneath one of his phone numbers.
He is on trial accused of kidnapping, attempted rape, and sexual assault of a 25-year old woman, along with assault by penetration and sexual assault of the 19-year-old woman - all of which he denies.
The first alleged attack is said to have happened in the early hours of August 19 2022 in Hove Park in Brighton.
The court heard Head had earlier withdrawn money from a cash machine inside a strip club in the city before pulling up in front of the 19-year-old, who had been out drinking with friends.
He drove her to the park where he dropped her off before allegedly returning to attack her at around 4am while wearing a Covid mask, the court heard.
Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant was intent on sexually assaulting her'.
The woman, who cannot be named, told the court on Tuesday: 'The man came up to me. I was a bit surprised, I assumed it was just a weird man who wanted to talk.'
She said he then grabbed her and started to sexually assault her.
'He did not say a word,' she said. 'I was shouting at him to stop.'
The woman said he wrestled her to the ground before dragging her into bushes.
'He didn't say anything, he showed no reaction at all,' she said.
The woman said her attacker kicked her and tried to sweep her legs to get her onto the ground, leaving her with cuts and bruises.
'I was still being held down,' she said.
'I managed to reach into my bag and quickly texted my friend and said I was being raped.'
She said her friend immediately phoned back.
'I don't think he noticed until the phone started ringing,' she said.
'I know he got up and ran away but I don't know what direction because I was just focused on running away myself.
'I explained to my friend what has just happened to me.
'I was on the phone to her for the whole time and I know that I ran.'
The next day she called police and described a man with short, grey hair wearing a light blue Covid mask.
A recording of her 999 call was played to the jury.
She told the operator: 'I feel like it was very calculated and he will do it to other women. I was fighting him for about 20mins.
'I've got cuts and stuff on my legs from being dragged across the ground.
'He kept tripping me up and pinning me to the floor. I was screaming and shouting. He definitely does this to other women.
'He waited till I was alone and that's when he attacked me. I don't think this is the first time he's done this.
'I think the covid mask was to hide his identity. I don't want this to happen to anybody else.
'I've been lucky.'
The woman said she had been drinking from around 6pm until around 2am.
On Monday on the first day of his trial, jurors were told Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police.
Opening the case, Mr Jarvis KC said the 19 year old was 'intoxicated and vulnerable' when she was sexually assaulted.
He said the second victim, aged 25, was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning when 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 prosecutor said.
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 were told.
She has since died. The trial continues.
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