Brighton student guilty of raping multiple women

A Brighton student has been found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting four fellow students while studying here.

Alex Patel-Wills, now 26, attacked the women over four years from 2018 to 2021, some on campus and some in his student house.

Patel-Wills, who now lives in Grove Road, in Barnet, was also convicted of raping a fifth woman in London.

Sussex Police launched an investigation after a woman reported being raped by Patel-Wells at a property in Brighton on Sunday 31 October 2021.

The victim was supported by specialist officers while Patel-Wills, a former Sussex University student, was arrested on suspicion of rape shortly after.

Over the following weeks, further inquiries identified four more victims spanning several years from 2018 to 2021.

A woman who was then in her late teens, who was known to Patel-Wills, reported being raped and sexually abused by him on several occasions in Brighton in 2018 and 2019.

At around the same time, a woman also in her late teens was raped by Patel-Wills at a property in London while in a vulnerable state.

Two more women reported being raped in 2020. In May 2020, Patel-Wills sexually assaulted a woman at a property on campus in and, four months later, raped another woman at his home in Brighton.

He was subsequently charged with five counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration, and remanded in custody.

Yesterday, a jury at Lewes Crown Court found Patel-Wills guilty of offences relating to every victim, namely four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove, remanded him in custody to be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Friday 19 December.

Detective Constable Vicki Blythe said: “Patel-Wills is a committed sexual offender who targeted multiple women.

“Each of these brave women has shown incredible courage to report and support this investigation. Thanks to their help, a predatory offender has been convicted and will now face a significant prison sentence.

“Sussex Police is committed to supporting victims of sexual offending and doing all we can to secure the justice they deserve.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending, please report to us in confidence online, via 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency.”

Sussex University said: “The university condemns all forms of sexual violence and abuse. We are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on our campus and we take seriously any reports of sexual misconduct.

“Our safeguarding policies, reporting routes and preventative education programmes are continuously reviewed and improved.

“Our thoughts are with the victims-survivors and we commend their courage and bravery in seeking justice in relation to such disturbing and traumatic matters.”