Three non-British nationals found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on a beach could encounter difficulties being expelled from the UK, although a government representative has said the Home Office will go ahead with removal after they are sentenced.
The three individuals – two Egyptians and one Iranian – overwhelmed the drunk woman and carried out several attacks against her near a structure along Brighton’s coast in the early hours.
Medical tests could not confirm that the victim had been given any drugs.
As two of the perpetrators carried out the assault, the third filmed what happened on his phone.
The masked men attacked the woman physically, including squeezing her throat and spitting in her mouth, after she lost touch with her friends during a night out in the seaside town.
One of the Egyptian defendants filmed three videos of the attack on his phone and shared them within the group as so-called trophies, and the three men subsequently held a celebratory barbecue.
He told police he was documenting what his companions were doing when he started filming.
The case was heard at Lewes Crown Court in Hove, where the jury was informed the violent attack only stopped when a maintenance vehicle approached the beach area.
The three defendants came to the United Kingdom on small boats.
They were described as merciless predators who deliberately chose the vulnerable victim.
The woman told the jury she was extremely drunk and could barely stand, saying she thought she had been given drugs and was terrified for her life.
She stated she begged them to stop but they continued. She just closed her eyes waiting for it to end. She thought she refused to watch any of it. They have ruined her life.
The 33-year-old victim described dragging herself away from the beach bloodied and hurt after the attack happened just after 6am on October 4 the previous year.
She rang a friend who described her as being in a highly distressed condition.
All three men were staying in asylum seeker accommodation near Horsham when they came across the drunk woman.
The Egyptian nationals aged 20 and 25, and the 26-year-old Iranian national, claimed the woman approached them looking for sexual activity.
The Iranian national denied offering to help find her friends as a way to lead her to the beach.
The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Hove began on March 16.
After roughly four days of deliberations, the jury delivered unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts.
The defendants showed no emotional response when the decisions were given.
One of the men put his head in his hands after hearing the verdicts.
A group of eight security officers were positioned in the courtroom because the defendants had turned against each other during evidence.
The prosecuting lawyer said one defendant has a previous warning for criminal damage dated April 6, 2025. Regarding non-domestic matters, inquiries are continuing to check references from overseas. I cannot give confirmed details. Your honour knows from bail proceedings that concerns existed about this individual. I am still waiting for formal confirmation, with senior police assistance obtained for this. All three individuals have had their asylum claims turned down. They are currently challenging these decisions through appeals. There is no guarantee they will be sent back to their home countries.
Despite worries about potential deportation obstacles, the minister for border security and asylum said the Home Office would move to remove them from British soil after sentencing.
The court was told that one defendant is also a convicted murderer in his home country.
The prosecutor observed one defendant comes from Iran. The other two come from Egypt. Ongoing inquiries into one individual may affect future deportation decisions. It remains possible that dangerousness cannot be properly assessed at this point. I cannot represent the Home Office position, which is outside the Crown Prosecution Service’s remit.