Fake taxi driver who preyed on young women in Brighton is jailed for 18 years

By Anahita Hossein-Pour, Reporter26th July 2023News EnglandCourts / Justice, News England, Sexual Abuse, Sussex

A fake taxi driver who kept condoms, latex gloves and Viagra in his car as he prowled the streets for vulnerable women has been jailed for 18 years, police said.

Graham Head, 66, drove around Brighton in his silver Mercedes estate and attempted to rape and sexually assault young female passengers.

Sussex Police said Head, of Coast Road in Pevensey, was arrested on November 18 last year after a woman in her 20s reported waking up in what she thought was a taxi to find a man sexually assaulting her.

Officers tracked down the car and linked Head to another investigation from earlier in 2022, when a teenager who received a taxi ride from him from Brighton to Hove Park on August 19 was then dragged into bushes.

After his arrest, Head’s internet search history revealed multiple searches for Brighton student nights and nightclub opening times across East Sussex and Surrey.

His car contained latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava, while his mobile phone was in flight mode.

Sentencing him at Hove Crown Court on July 24, Judge Jeremy Gold KC described Head as a “sexual predator” who posed a “present and dangerous risk to women”.

The defendant, who will spend 18 years in prison and another five years on extended licence, was found guilty of kidnap, attempted rape and assault by penetration at the same court on June 2.

A statement submitted to the court by one of Head’s victims said: “Most prominently, I really struggle to be outside by myself at night.

“I start to panic at every insignificant sound as I assume that it must be someone who is coming to hurt and violate me.

“In general, I don’t feel safe any more, knowing that there are people out there who want to do what has been done to me.”

Detective Constable Elliott Lander, of Surrey and Sussex’s major crime team, praised the two “brave” women for coming forward and supporting the investigation, and urged any other potential victims to contact police.

“We believe Head may have further victims who have not yet come forward,” he said.

“If you believe you may have been a victim, or have any information which could help, please contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Cooper. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”