Police are appealing for witnesses after a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in Brighton.
The victim was walking home in St James’s Street after a night out when she met a man who befriended her shortly after 2am on Monday (5 January).
They walked together for a short distance before the man sexually assaulted her outside Ardingly Court and tried to rape her.
He was disturbed by a member of the public who heard the victim being assaulted. The attacker then fled along Ardingly Street.
The man was white, 6′ 2″ or 6′ 3″ and clean shaven. He was in his mid 40s, stocky and had choppy, mousey dirty-blonde hair. He was a wearing a blue Puffa-style jacket.
Detective Sergeant Dee Wells said:
The man took advantage of the fact that the woman was drunk to try to sexually assault her. She has been left very shaken by what has happened.
We believe he was preparing to rape her when he was disturbed.
We need to speak to anyone who saw or heard the attack happening or who saw the man and woman walking towards Ardingly Court.
If you recognise the description of the man, or who know who or where he could be, please contact us.”
Anyone with information should email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 69 of 05/01, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
