Sussex Police want to identify a man after an 18-year-old was headbutted outside Rapscallions in South Street, Chichester, on 1 Oct. Quote serial 1307 of 01/10.

Sussex Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to after an 18-year-old was assaulted on South Street, Chichester, in the early hours of 1 October. The force is treating it as a homophobic hate crime.

The appeal was published by Sussex Police at 4.31pm on Tuesday 20 October.

What the police say happened

According to the force:

  • the victim was outside Rapscallions Club on South Street between 3am and 4am on Thursday 1 October, after a night out
  • he was with a friend when two men approached them, one of whom acted aggressively
  • the victim was pushed, headbutted and further assaulted
  • his injuries needed hospital treatment

The victim described the suspect as being of a large build, with dark brown hair and clothing. The force says the man may have said he was from North Wales.

The CCTV image is on the force’s appeal page. No arrest has been announced.

District Commander Chief Inspector Kay Hutchings said: “This was an unprovoked assault in Chichester city centre which left the victim shaken and requiring hospital treatment.”

The chief inspector added: “We take reports of hate crime seriously. Hate has no place in our communities. We understand that reporting it can sometime be difficult, but we continue to encourage anyone impacted by hate crimes to report them to Sussex Police.”

The second such appeal from the city centre this month

This is the second homophobic hate crime in Chichester city centre that Sussex Police have published a statement about in October.

On 16 October the force said a man in his 20s had been followed and verbally abused by a group of young men on bicycles in the Little London car park behind East Street at about 6pm on 13 October. A 16-year-old boy was arrested in that investigation and bailed.

The force has not linked the two incidents.

What it means for you

  • If you recognise the man in the CCTV image, or saw what happened outside Rapscallions that morning, report it to Sussex Police online quoting serial 1307 of 01/10.
  • If you would rather not give your name, the independent charity Crimestoppers takes information anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through its website.
  • If you have experienced hate crime yourself, the force’s hate crime reporting page takes reports online. It also lists charities and organisations that can help you report without talking to the police directly. In an emergency, call 999.

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