On Wednesday, 6 December, around 9.45 am, police responded to an assault at a shop on The Highway in Moulsecoomb, Brighton. The 49-year-old local male victim received on-site treatment for a head injury.
Eyewitnesses saw three men escaping in a blue Ford Fiesta, which soon after crashed into another vehicle and a house in Colbourne Avenue.
A thorough search, with aerial support from the National Police Air Service, led to the arrest of two men. A 54-year-old was held on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, and a 57-year-old for actual bodily harm. Both were later bailed pending further investigation.
That evening, at 7.30 pm, officers were summoned to Lewes Road, Brighton, following a report of a knifepoint robbery. A 22-year-old man was apprehended for this robbery and for involvement in the earlier incident. Identified as Charlie Crookes from Norwich Drive, Brighton, he was charged and presented before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 8 December. He remains in custody, awaiting a crown court appearance set for 5 January.