Brighton man admits kidnapping woman in Hove
Cameron Boxall forced his victim into his car after asking her for directions
A man has admitted to kidnapping a woman in Hove after asking her for directions.
21-year-old Cameron Boxall stopped his Mini car to talk to the woman in Church Road in the early hours of August 5th last year, while the 20-year-old was walking home from work.
Without warning, he 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.
Officers began an immediate search for the vehicle and enquiries quickly identified it had been stolen from Brighton the previous evening, and 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 August 5th.
He 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 at close proximity of the scene at the time of the offence.
Boxall, formerly of Carden Hill in Brighton, was charged with kidnap as well as theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, making off without payment, and possession of cannabis
He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on March 3rd
Detective Inspector Duncan Elliott, who led the investigation from the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, said: “This was an incredibly distressing incident for the victim, and I commend her for the immense strength and bravery she showed throughout the ordeal and during our subsequent investigation.
“With the details she was able to give us, combined with our own police intelligence and urgent house-to-house and CCTV 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 and ensured a dangerous and predatory offender has been caught.”