3 days ago
'Sexual predator', 68, posed as taxi driver to target 'intoxicated women', taking latex gloves, condoms and Viagra with him, court told
A sexual predator posed as an 'unofficial Uber ' to pick up 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women, a court heard.
Graham Head, 68, had latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested.
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, is accused of kidnapping, attempted rape, and sexual assault of a 25-year old woman, along with assault by penetration and sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman - all of which he denies.
He claims that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim.
On Monday on the first day of his trial, jurors at Lewes Crown Court were told Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police.
Opening the case, 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 heard.
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 the first victim, who was 19 years was 'intoxicated and vulnerable' when she was sexually assaulted by the defendant in Hove Park.'
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.
Mr Jarvis said: '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.
The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine, the court heard.
She said 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 said: 'He saw (the victim) in the early hours of the morning on November 18 2022, he realised that she was vulnerable and intoxicated.
'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 will not give evidence in this trial.
The trial continues.
