A university student who carried out a four-year campaign of rape and sexual assault against multiple women has been handed a significant prison sentence.
A Pattern of Predatory Attacks
Alex Patel-Wills, aged 26, of Grove Road in Barnet, was found guilty of a series of violent offences against five women. The court heard that four of his victims were fellow students. His spree of attacks took place between 2018 and 2021 in locations including Brighton and London.
The investigation was launched after a woman reported being raped in Brighton on 31 October 2021. Patel-Wills was arrested on suspicion of rape shortly after this report. As detectives delved deeper, they uncovered evidence of attacks on four more women.
Chronology of Crimes and Court Verdict
The full extent of his offending became clear as victims came forward. One woman reported being raped and sexually abused numerous times in Brighton between 2018 and 2019. Around the same period, another woman was raped by Patel-Wills in London while in a vulnerable state.
Two further victims disclosed that he had raped them in 2020. In May 2020, he sexually assaulted a woman at a property on a university campus. Just four months later, in September 2020, he raped another woman at his home in Brighton.
Patel-Wills was initially charged with five counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of assault by penetration. Following a trial at Lewes Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of the majority of charges. The convictions included four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of sexual assault by penetration. He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration.
Substantial Sentence and Police Response
The judge sentenced Patel-Wills to a total of 25 years in prison. He must serve 19 years in custody and will then be on an extended licence for a further six years.
Detective Constable Vicki Blythe of Sussex Police praised the courage of the victims. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to these brave women for reporting Alex Patel-Wills' crimes to the police and helping us put him behind bars," she said.
"Every perpetrator brought to justice makes Sussex a safer place for women and girls, and we will continue to work hard to prevent offending, hold offenders to account and support victims." The force reiterated its commitment to supporting victims of sexual offences and urged others to come forward.
Sussex Police encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual offending to report it confidentially online, via 101, or by calling 999 in an emergency.
