Alex Patel-Wills

Alex Patel-Wills, a 26-year-old graduate from the University of Sussex, was sentenced to 25 years in prison at Lewes Crown Court for a series of brutal sexual offences committed against five women between 2019 and 2020. While studying in Brighton, Patel-Wills exploited his role as a Class A drug dealer to prey on vulnerable young female students, using drugs and alcohol to incapacitate them before carrying out rapes and sexual assaults in their accommodation or his campus room.

The court heard that Patel-Wills raped four women, including fellow students, and sexually assaulted a fifth, demonstrating a complete disregard for his victims. One attack occurred while he was on police bail for a previous rape allegation and under university investigation. Her Honour Judge Christine Laing KC described him as a 'dangerous narcissist' with a 'predilection' for sexual activity with women who were asleep or unconscious. She highlighted his lack of remorse, noting that he boasted about his sexual conquests and claimed to be 'irresistible to women' during the trial.

• Patel-Wills was found guilty of four counts of rape, two sexual assaults, and one assault by penetration following a trial.
• He met two victims in nightclubs, where they awoke to find him assaulting them.
• His victims reported profound, lasting trauma, with one stating, 'The anxiety is like a weight I can't lift,' and another describing how the ordeal changed her on every level, leaving her feeling unsafe in her own body.

In sentencing, Judge Laing imposed nine years for three counts of rape, sexual assaults, and assault by penetration, followed by ten years consecutively for the fourth count involving multiple rapes, plus an extended six-year licence period. Patel-Wills must serve at least two-thirds of the 19-year determinate sentence before parole eligibility, and he will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. The judge considered a life sentence but opted for the extended term due to his high intelligence and sense of entitlement. Detective Constable Vicki Blythe of Sussex Police praised the victims' bravery in reporting the crimes, which led to Patel-Wills' conviction.