Brutal rapist targeted woman he met on night out in Brighton

A “callous and brutal” rapist has been given an extended prison sentence for attacking a woman he met on a night out in Brighton

Darrell Moore, 34, and a friend met two girls at the end of a night out and went back to the home of one of the girls, a jury heard at Hove Crown Court.

She and Moore’s friend went to her room while Moore was left alone with the victim who cannot be identified by law.

Thomas Cleeve, prosecuting, said that Moore raped the woman twice and sexually assaulted her twice in the early hours of Sunday 15 May 2022.

Moore pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape and two counts of sexual assault – but a jury found him guilty at the end of a trial in October.

His barrister, Jeffrey Lamb, said that, a few years ago, Moore had a “sensory processing disorder” diagnosed.

Mr Lamb said: “His brain struggles to deal with sensory input on occasions. There has been no formal diagnosis. It sometimes leads to difficulty in social situations.”

Judge David Rennie said that Moore had “no excuse, no mitigation whatsoever and (had shown) no remorse whatsoever”.

Judge Rennie said: “It was a callous and brutal act of domination in which her rights and feelings were trashed, rather like you trashed her body.

“To make matters worse, you chose to put her through the ordeal of a criminal trial.”

Mr Cleeve read a statement from the victim to the court at a sentencing hearing on Friday 23 January.

The woman said: “A part of me was taken that night I don’t think I’ll ever get back. I’ve been trapped in one moment for three and a half years.”

As a result, she said, “opportunities have been lost” and, despite having been bubbly before that attack, she had lost her confidence.

She added: “Initially all I felt was numb. It took me a while before I could feel any emotion again and when I did all I could feel was pain.”

She described herself as a broken 22-year-old – she is now 26 – and said: “When this finally draws to a close, I will finally breathe again.”

Moore, who was 30 at the time of the offences, had a number of previous convictions, Mr Cleeve, said. Most of them were for non-sexual offences such as having a taser and drug dealing.

But in January last year, he raped a 12-year-old girl in London after she had gone missing from home. As a result, he was jailed for four years and eight months at Inner London Crown Court.

Judge Rennie praised the brave woman in the case before him and said: “Her very brave victim personal statement leaves me in no doubt that your actions have caused her to suffer severe psychological harm.

“In January 2025, you raped a girl who was only 12 – a complete stranger (from) off the street in south London.

“This means that within less than three years you have raped a woman and a girl.

“I have no hesitation at all in concluding that you are dangerous. In those circumstances, I propose to pass an extended sentence. It is designed to try to give a measure of protection to girls and women.”

The judge imposed an 11-year sentence, consisting of eight years in custody and an extra three years to be served on licence in the community.

Moore, of Albert Carr Gardens, London, must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term before he can be considered for parole.

He would then have to serve any of the remaining eight years on licence as well as the extra three years, to make up the 11-year total.

Judge Rennie also imposed a 10-year restraining order on Moore and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order intended to reduce his likelihood of reoffending.

After Moore was convicted in October, the investigating officer from Sussex Police, Detective Constable Elaine Welsh, said: “This was a distressing incident for the victim.

“I would like to thank her for supporting the investigation and commend her bravery and strength to secure justice in this case.

“This was a life-changing event for her but her courage has ensured our community is safer for women. She has helped remove this predator from our streets.”