A 21-year-old man has admitted kidnapping a young woman in Hove after approaching her under the guise of asking for directions. Cameron Boxall, formerly of Carden Hill, Brighton, pleaded guilty to kidnap, vehicle theft, theft from a vehicle, driving offences, and possession of cannabis at Hove Crown Court on Friday, 31 January. The terrifying incident occurred in the early hours of 5 August last year, leaving the 20-year-old victim traumatised.
The victim was walking home from work when she was approached by Boxall, who was sitting in a black Mini at the junction of Church Road and Palmeira Avenue. She continued walking onto Selbourne Road, where Boxall again approached her in the Mini. He asked her for directions, which she provided. In a shocking turn of events, Boxall then exited the vehicle and forced the woman into the passenger seat.
Despite the terrifying situation, the victim bravely fought back, managing to keep her legs outside the vehicle and the car door open as Boxall attempted to drive away. After a short distance, Boxall pushed the victim out of the car and fled the scene. The shaken woman sought help from members of the public, who then contacted the police.
Officers launched an immediate search for the black Mini and quickly discovered it had been stolen from Brighton the previous evening. Further enquiries revealed the vehicle had also been used to steal petrol from a garage in Woodingdean earlier on the same day as the kidnap. The Mini was eventually found and recovered at around 17:45 on 5 August.
Boxall was arrested and officers found him in possession of clothing matching that of the Mini driver seen in CCTV footage. Mobile phone location data also placed him near the scene of the crime at the time of the offence. He was subsequently charged and admitted all offences at Hove Crown Court.
Detective Inspector Duncan Elliott, who led the investigation from the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team, praised the victim’s bravery.
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,” he said.
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.
