A driver allegedly posed as an “unofficial Uber” to pick up “vulnerable and intoxicated” women he could abuse, 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 November 2022.
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.
On Monday, jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard that Head was a “sexual predator” who “slipped up” the night he was arrested by police.
Head, of Coast Road, Pevensey Bay, denies 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.
He claims that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim.
Prosecutor Paul Jarvis said: “The defendant is a sexual predator.
“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 was told.
The first attack was said to have taken place in the early hours of Friday 19 August 2022 in Hove Park and the second on Friday 18 November 2022 outside the alleged victim’s home.
Mr Jarvis said: “Now, in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning, the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.”
“In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr 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 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 19 November 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 on the night in question, the court was told.
Her account is that 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: “On the evening of 17 November 2022, he had driven to Brighton perhaps to socialise and then to seek fares or victims or both.
“He saw (the victim) in the early hours of the morning on 18 November 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.
The trial continues.
