A man pretending to be a taxi driver and targeting young women for sexual assault was apprehended after a courageous victim memorized a portion of his personalized license plate. Graham Head, 66, carried a disturbing assortment of items, including Viagra, condoms, rubber gloves, and a balaclava, in his car as he prowled the streets of Brighton, preying on vulnerable individuals.
Head deceived his victims by posing as an Uber driver and even distributed fake business cards to create the illusion of legitimacy. At his residence in Pevensey, East Sussex, police discovered incapacitating spray and an extendable baton, prompting investigators to suspect that there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward.
The imposter driver was arrested following a car chase in Brighton, triggered by surveillance cameras capturing the last three letters of his license plate, which happened to be his initials.
One victim, a woman in her 20s, reported waking up in a vehicle that she believed to be a taxi, only to find herself being sexually assaulted. She managed to escape by kicking Head in the groin and promptly contacted the police, providing them with three digits of his license plate, which belonged to his silver Mercedes estate.
After a trial at Hove Trial Centre, Head was found guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape, and sexual assault. During the proceedings, he expressed his anger at the verdicts, vehemently asserting his innocence before slamming a chair in the dock.
The court also heard about a separate investigation into an attempted rape in Brighton in August 2022. A teenage woman was dragged into bushes after accepting a ride from Head, who attempted to rape her before fleeing when her phone rang.
Detective Constable Elliott Lander of Sussex Police referred to Head as a predatory offender who deceived his victims by posing as a taxi driver, only to commit abhorrent acts of exploitation against vulnerable women. Lander commended the quick-thinking and bravery of the two victims, which enabled law enforcement to connect Head to both incidents and bring him to justice. He expressed gratitude to the victims for their support throughout the investigation, acknowledging that without them, this dangerous individual might still be at large.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact the police online or call 101, quoting Operation Cooper. Head’s sentencing will take place next month, following a request by HHJ Gold KC for a dangerousness assessment.
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