EASTBOURNE MAN JAILED AGAIN FOR RAPE AND DRUGGING
Eastbourne rapist Adem Gokgoz was found guilty again after a retrial for the crime he committed on April 5, 2014.He was convicted of drugging a 21-year-old woman by spiking her drink with GHB at a club, then raping her at his flat in Eastbourne.
The 30-year-old former hairdresser had previously been caught and bailed but fled the country, returning to Turkey before the initial trial.
He was tried in absentia in 2017 and received an 11-year sentence, but the conviction was later deemed unsafe due to forensic issues related to toxicology reports by Randox Laboratories.
As a result, the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial, which concluded last week with Gokgoz being found guilty in his absence once again by a jury at Lewes Crown Court.
He was resentenced to nine years in prison by Judge Christine Laing QC.
During investigation, forensic analysis showed that GHB was present in the victim's system well beyond its usual excretion period, indicating a high dose or prolonged administration.
Detective Constable Lisa Wells stated that Gokgoz, who also uses the name Adam Garcia and is a naturalised UK citizen, returned to Turkey in May 2016 while on bail, despite efforts to trace him through his connections in Eastbourne.
The case was complicated by forensic report issues, and the victim, who was unable to be named legally, did not give evidence in the retrial, but the jury still convicted him following a three-day proceedings.
