Brighton man jailed for assaulting two women

A Brighton man has been convicted after stamping on a woman’s head and sexually assaulting another in West Street.

Halcyon Platt, 21, of Ditchling Rise, Brighton, was sentenced on 12 July following incidents which occurred in the early hours of 1 October 2023.

In the early hours of October 1, Platt was at a West Street nightclub when he made advances to a 20-year-old woman that he did not reciprocate.

Platt then sexually assaulted the woman and reportedly grabbed her by the neck after being confronted about his behavior.

The victim called police to report the crime, and during the phone call, a second incident involving Platt occurred.

Platt became angry at a second woman near the club after she tried to help a man on West Street.

He pushed the 23-year-old victim away from the scene of the accident, then attacked her and threw her to the ground.

Platt brutally kicked the victim in the head several times, causing significant facial injuries.

Police promptly arrested Platt at the scene and took him into custody before releasing him on bail under strict conditions.

Platt was charged with attempted aggravated assault, sexual assault and intentional strangulation on March 27.

On May 23, Platt pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm and sexual abuse. The intentional strangulation offense was dismissed.

On 12 July, Platt was sentenced to 45 months in prison and fined £228 at Lewes Crown Court.

Both victims presented statements in court describing the impact these crimes had on their lives.

The 20-year-old woman who was sexually abused by Platt said:

“This incident definitely had an impact on my anxiety.

“I can no longer go out without worrying about what will happen to me.

“Since then I haven’t been able to go to a bar or a club.

“The last time I tried, I had a bad panic attack and had to go home.

“I also had to change jobs. I worked for a charity before. It was a nice, rewarding job, but you were in public and talking to a lot of strangers.

“After the attack, the thought of talking to strangers, especially single men, was terrifying to me.”

In a second statement, the 23-year-old victim, who also suffered from Platt’s actions, said:

“During the first week I was afraid to go to sleep because I thought I might not wake up because of the head injury.

“I was also very scared and isolated myself.”

She continued:

“After that, I found it difficult to leave the house. I was afraid that people would see my face and generally felt bad about the way I looked.”

Detective Sergeant Victoria Lofts said:

“We hope that the victims of these crimes find a sense of justice in Platt’s conviction and that they can now begin to put these horrific events behind them.

“Many people were involved in this investigation and we would like to take a moment to thank those who assisted us in the investigation and provided important information that led us to the point where we were able to secure the findings to take a dangerous man off the streets.”