Brighton man convicted of city centre knifepoint rape

Brighton man Philip Smith has been convicted of raping a woman at knifepoint in the city centre.

At around 3.30am on Saturday, 9 August, 2025, police received a third-party report that a woman had just been raped by a stranger in Bartholomew Square.

She said the man had threatened her with a knife and raped her on a public bench.

The victim – a 31-year-old woman - was able to contact a friend nearby, who rushed to the scene and disturbed the attacker.

An emergency call came into Sussex Police with a description of the suspect and, 45 minutes later, Philip Smith was arrested at the entrance of Quadrophenia Alley in Little East Street.

Smith matched the victim’s description and was found to be in possession of multiple knives, including one that matched the victim’s account, as well as Class A drugs.

The 28-year-old, of no fixed address, was arrested and taken into custody.

While in custody, Smith exposed himself to two women inside Brighton Custody Centre.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of rape, two counts of indecent exposure and one count each of being in possession of a Class A drug, and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was remanded in custody.

At the time of the offence, Smith was on court bail awaiting sentencing for the sexual assault of a woman in Brighton on 5 August, 2025.

He denied the two rape charges, but pleaded guilty to all other offences. Following a trial at Lewes Crown Court a jury found him guilty of both counts of rape on Thursday (26 February).

Smith has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at Hove Trial Centre on Thursday, 25 June. 

Detective Constable Rachel Cutts said: “Philip Smith subjected this woman to a horrific ordeal in the city centre, in an area where she had every right to feel safe.

“Thanks to her quick-thinking to seek help, the prompt action of her friend and the rapid response of our officers, a dangerous offender has been brought to justice.

“I would like to commend all of the victims impacted by Smith's offending for supporting this investigation through extremely challenging circumstances.

“We will continue to work hard alongside our partners to protect women and girls in Brighton and Hove, while ensuring victims are supported and offenders brought to justice should the worst happen.”

If you are a victim of sexual offending in Sussex, we and our partners will do all we can to support you. There are a range of independent partner services, including:

• Survivors Network: providing emotional and practical support.
• Life Centre: trauma-informed therapy and counselling services.
• Mankind: dedicated support for male victim-survivors delivered by men.
• Veritas Justice: independent support for victims of stalking

Find out more about the free support available to victim-survivors of crime on the Safe Space Sussex website.