Lancing man convicted of rape for second time

Philip Olliver followed a 19-year-old woman who was alone after a company Christmas night out and then attacked and raped her, a police statement said.

Olliver had been jailed for a similar offence on May 19, 1999, when he attacked a 16-year-old girl who was walking through Buckingham Park in Shoreham, pulled her into an overgrown area and raped her.

In the early hours of Monday, January 5, Olliver drove to Brighton and parked his car in St James’s Street.

He spotted his victim, who was drunk and walking home after a night out, and befriended her at about 2am.

They walked together for a short distance before Olliver attacked her outside Ardingly Court and then fled, police said.

Police were able to link DNA left on the victim to Olliver’s DNA profile on the national database from his previous rape conviction.

Olliver had pleaded guilty to that offence, when he was 16, and was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution.

But he denied being responsible for the offence in January, admitting that he had sex with the 19-year-old woman but claiming it was consensual.

He pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court but a jury took less than 90 minutes to find him guilty of all the charges.

Olliver, of West Lane, Lancing, was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on August 6.

He was warned he would be jailed.

Detective Sergeant Dee Wells said: “Olliver poses a huge risk to the public, especially young women. He has twice attacked women on their own.

“Olliver arrived in Brighton with one thing in mind and took advantage of the drunkenness of the 19-year-old who crossed his path.

“He has shown no remorse for the terrifying ordeal he put his victim through but his conviction will mean women in Sussex will be safer when they go out.”