Hove man who kidnapped woman after asking her for directions jailed

Brighton Crown Court heard how Cameron Boxall, 22, put the victim through a terrifying ordeal after he forced her into a car he had stolen earlier, and attempted to drive off.

The victim, a 20-year-old local woman, was walking home from work in the early hours of the morning on 5 August last year when she noticed a black Mini sitting at the junction of Church Road and Palmeira Avenue, a police spokesperson said.

She continued onto Selbourne Road, where she saw the black Mini again. This time, the driver opened the passenger door and asked the victim for directions, which she provided.

Without warning, the driver then exited the vehicle and forced the woman into the passenger seat of the car. She bravely fought back, ensuring her legs stayed outside of the vehicle so the car door remained open as the suspect tried to drive away.

After a short distance, the driver pushed the victim out of the car and made off from the scene. The victim called for help from members of the public nearby, and police were called.

Detectives from the force’s Major Crime Team began an immediate search for the vehicle and enquiries quickly identified it had been stolen from Brighton the previous evening, before Boxall then went on to steal number plates from another vehicle, placing these on the stolen Mini. The vehicle was also used to steal petrol from a garage in Woodingdean later that same day.

The Mini was found and recovered around 5.45pm on 5 August. Detectives now needed to locate the suspect. Working around the clock, officers carried out extensive house to house enquiries visiting more than 700 addresses across five different locations in the city and trawling hours of CCTV, some of which captured Boxall buying gloves in a shop which it was believed he then wore when he stole the car.

Boxall was arrested and found to be in possession of clothing matching that of the Mini driver in CCTV footage. Location data from his mobile phone also put him close to the scene at the time of the offence, according to Sussex Police.

When interviewed by officers, Boxall lied and gave several different accounts initially denying his involvement and saying he was at home with his girlfriend. He then said he went out for a walk and met with two associates who he blamed for the offence. In his initial defence case statement submitted to the court, he then claimed the incident was a robbery gone wrong and that the victim fell into the car as he tried to drive off.

Boxall, formerly of Carden Hill, Brighton, was charged and admitted a charge of kidnap, theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, making off without payment, and possession of cannabis when he appeared at Hove Crown Court on Friday 31 January. He was remanded in custody and appeared for sentencing on Friday 9 May.

Detective Sergeant Jack Sagar, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “Boxall is a dangerous predator who preyed on a young woman innocently walking home, putting her through a horrific distressing ordeal where she feared for her life.

“We commend her for the immense strength and bravery she has shown throughout the incident and during our subsequent investigation. With the details she was able to provide, combined with our fast paced and intensive enquiries, we swiftly identified Boxall as the suspect and brought him into custody.

“We built a strong evidential case which, when presented to the court, resulted in a guilty plea ensuring this dangerous violent offender has been caught and taken off the streets.”

Superintendent Petra Lazar, of Brighton and Hove Division, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe in a public place. We are fully committed to ensuring that is the case and work incredibly closely with partners to ensure a range of measures are in place to address vulnerability, tackle crime and provide reassurance. Violence against women and girls will absolutely not be tolerated.

“An incident such as this is appalling, and every effort will be made to bring offenders to justice and safeguard victims.”