Brighton Man Jailed For Sexually Assaulting Woman In Kemptown

A Brighton man who followed and sexually assaulted a woman as she walked home has been jailed.

James Cooke, 31, of Peel Road in Brighton, was jailed for seven years and eight months on Tuesday, May 3, after pleading guilty to assault on a female by penetration.

]It happened on September 11, 2021 when the victim, a woman in her 40s, was walking though Kemptown at around 3am.

She reported that Cooke had followed her Westbound towards the city centre and 'despite her crossing the road several times to avoid him', grabbed her on the corner of College Place and sexually assaulted her.

A nearby resident called police after hearing the victim’s cries for help and Cooke fled the scene.

Her description of Cooke led to CCTV images of him being identified buying beer from a shop in St James Street, following her through the town and running away after the offence.

Card details from the shop transaction linked the sale to Cooke and he was arrested by officers on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.

While in custody, Cooke admitted being the person in the CCTV and he was charged with assault on a female by penetration.

Following his guilty plea, he was sentenced to four years and eight months in custody, with an additional three years on licence, and placed on the sex offenders’ register until further notice.

A restraining order was also put in place banning him from contacting his victim or entering the Kemptown area of Brighton.

Investigating officer Detective Andy Scott said:

“Women should be able to walk alone through the streets of Brighton and Hove, at any time of day or night, without the fear of being attacked by dangerous predators like James Cooke.

“This was a terrifying ordeal for his victim, who has shown incredible bravery in supporting the investigation and helping to put her attacker behind bars.

“Tackling violence against women and girls remains a key focus for us as a police force and this conviction should show that we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice and throw our full support behind victims, as well as taking proactive steps to prevent such crimes from happening and keep the public safe.”