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A man has been found guilty of raping a woman in Dorset Gardens, Brighton, following a trial at Brighton Crown Court.
Alieu George, 45, of no fixed address, was also found guilty of sexual assault by penetration. He had denied the charges but was convicted by a jury on Wednesday 17 December.
The court heard that members of the public had spotted a man and a woman together in the park area at 9.05am on Sunday 22 June this year. The woman looked distressed and then shortly later, they were on the ground with the man lying on top of her.
Three witnesses recognised the victim’s distress and called police and when officers responded to the scene, they found her distraught and George lying next to her. He told them the woman was his girlfriend.
The 34-year-old told police that she had gone out for drinks after work and George had approached her and made excuses to remove her from group of people she was with to get her alone. He then made repeated attempts to sexually assault her while leading her to Dorset Gardens where he raped her.
George was arrested on suspicion of committing rape and taken to custody. He was later charged with the offence that day.
Following the guilty verdicts, George was remanded in custody to appear for sentencing on 10 March 2026.
Detective Constable Daisy Alden, the officer in the case, said:
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this investigation for her courage and determination. I would also like to thank the three members of public for their civic duty for calling 999 that resulted in us arriving and arresting the suspect within minutes. They gave evidence at court and their testimonies were highly impactful.
“Alieu George preyed on the victim and he presents a clear danger to women. The streets of Brighton and Sussex are safer now he will remain behind bars.”