Shoreham: Jordan Murphy jailed for rape and assault on same night

Jordan Murphy was jailed for raping a woman and assaulting a second victim

A man who raped a woman and assaulted another on the same night has been jailed for nine years.

Jordan Murphy raped a 21-year-old woman off an alleyway near Middle Road, Shoreham, West Sussex, on 8 March last year.

Earlier that night, he grabbed a second victim but she managed to escape.

Murphy, 24, was convicted at Lewes Crown Court of rape, common assault and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Police appeal

Police said after the rape, the victim reported Murphy's appearance to her family and friends who immediately got into a car and retraced her footsteps.

They took a picture of a lone man who the victim recognised as her attacker.

Police then publicly appealed for help in identifying the man, prompting several people to name him as Murphy, a warehouse worker.

The release of the photo also led to his second victim coming forward to say Murphy had followed her earlier on Old Shoreham Road, but she pushed him away and fled.

Murphy, of Hammy Close, Shoreham, was put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

'Grudge'

Following his sentencing, Sussex Police released the second victim's witness statement, in which she explained the attack had made her nervous and prone to panic attacks.

She said: "Although this is the worst thing to have happened in my life, I don't hold any hate, I don't hold any grudge towards the defendant."

Det Con Hugh Charles said: "We began an investigation as soon as the first report was received and, thanks to the bravery of the victims, their friends' immediate actions on the night of the incident and the positive response from the public, officers were able to quickly identify a suspect, make an arrest and secure a conviction."

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