A Brighton man has been sentenced after he brutally stamped on the head of a woman and sexually assaulted another in West Street.
Halcyon Platt, 21, of Ditchling Rise, Brighton, was sentenced on July 12, following incidents that occurred in the early morning of October 1, 2023. Platt was in a nightclub on West Street when he made unwanted advances towards a 20-year-old woman.
After being challenged on his behavior, Platt sexually assaulted the woman and grabbed her by the throat. The victim immediately called the police to report the crime. While she was on the phone, Platt became enraged with a second woman who attempted to assist a man nearby. He pushed the 23-year-old woman away, assaulted her, and threw her to the ground. Platt then callously stamped on her head multiple times, causing significant facial injuries.
Police quickly arrested Platt at the scene and took him into custody before he was bailed with strict conditions. He was charged on March 27 with attempted grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, and intentional strangulation.
On May 23, Platt pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and sexual assault. The intentional strangulation charge was requested to lay on file. At Lewes Crown Court on July 12, Platt was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment and given a £228 fine.
The victims provided statements to the court, detailing the profound impact of Platt’s actions on their lives. The 20-year-old woman said:
“This incident has definitely impacted my anxiety. I can’t go out anymore without worrying about what will happen to me. I haven’t been able to go out to a pub or club since. The last time I tried to do so, I had a very bad anxiety attack and had to go home. I have also had to change my job. I used to work for a charity. It was a nice, rewarding job but it involved being out in public, talking to a lot of strangers. After I was attacked, the thought of talking to strangers, especially single men, was terrifying.”
The 23-year-old victim also shared her harrowing experience:
“For the first week, I was scared to go to sleep as I thought I might not wake up due to the head injury. I was also very anxious, and I isolated myself. I found it hard to leave the house after, scared of people seeing my face and just generally feeling low about how I looked.”
Detective Sergeant Victoria Lofts commented on the sentencing:
“We hope the victims of these crimes find a sense of justice in Platt’s sentencing and that now they can begin to put these terrible incidents behind them. There have been many people involved in this investigation, and we would like to take a moment to thank those who assisted with enquiries and provided vital accounts, leading us to this point in securing the results to take a dangerous man off the streets.
