‘DANGEROUS PREDATOR’ WHO GRABBED WOMAN AS SHE WALKED HOME JAILED
A man identified as a “dangerous predator” who stalked and sexually assaulted a woman walking home has been sentenced to prison.James Cooke, age 31 and living on Peel Road in Brighton, was given a prison sentence of seven years and eight months on May 3 after admitting to the crime of assaulting a woman by penetration.
The offence took place on the night of September 11, 2021, at around 3 a.m., when a woman in her forties was navigating her way through Kemptown.
Cooke allegedly followed her heading west towards the city center.
Despite her efforts to cross roads multiple times to evade him, he caught her at the corner of College Place and assaulted her sexually.
A nearby resident heard the woman’s cries for help and contacted the police.
The attacker then fled the scene.
The police investigation was initiated after the incident was reported, and the victim received support from specialist officers.
CCTV footage identified a man matching her description, who was later found to be Cooke.
The footage showed Cooke purchasing beers from a shop on St James’ Street and following the woman through Kemptown before fleeing from the scene.
Evidence from the shop’s card transaction linked the sale to Cooke, leading to his arrest on October 6, 2021.
While in custody, Cooke confessed to being the man seen on the CCTV footage and was charged with sexual assault involving penetration.
He pleaded guilty and was subsequently sentenced to a prison term of four years and eight months, with an additional three years on license.
He was also required to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.
A court restraining order was imposed to prevent him from contacting the victim or entering Brighton’s Kemptown area.
