Overview
- The attack took place on March 11 when the woman, described in court as intoxicated and vulnerable, was seized and raped on the bonnet of a car in the Lyndhurst Road car park beside Worthing Hospital.
- Forensic officers found handprints and fingerprints on the vehicle and investigators used CCTV and witness accounts to identify the car and link the suspect to the scene.
- Two days after the assault officers arrested Suleman Mukaish at Gatwick Airport as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Pakistan and Sussex Police released body‑worn camera footage of the stop.
- Mukaish pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on April 13 and on June 23 a judge at Hove Crown Court sentenced him to eight years and three months in prison plus a three‑year extended licence because of assessed ongoing risk.
- The victim has suffered severe psychological harm including suicidal thoughts and an inability to return to the hospital, prosecutors praised the investigation and the CPS said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the attack and may offer the victim some measure of justice.