Joseph Eubank raped girl on beach, trial hears

A 27-year-old man grabbed a drunk teenage girl by the wrist, dragged her to the bottom of Brighton beach and then raped her, a trial has heard.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was out celebrating a friend’s birthday the night the alleged attack took place on 16 July, 2022.

Jurors heard how she had been drinking vodka with friends before they become separated and she was approached by a man she had never met before, while she was looking for her lost phone.

Joseph Eubank, of Hove, has denied two counts of rape of the girl at the trial, which began at Lewes Crown Court earlier.

Prosecutor Beverly Cripps said the girl had never been drunk like that before, was swaying and “couldn’t see straight”.

The prosecutor said the teenager remembered Mr Eubank, who is a son of Boxing legend Chris Eubank senior, asking her age.

She replied 16, and he said he was 26, before saying something like "let's go look at the moon", the court heard.

She said he had initially been friendly but became more aggressive "moving her quickly down the beach".

In a video police interview, the girl recalled how he held her wrist "quite tight", adding "he kept pulling me back up and I was falling on the stones.

“Pretty sure he kissed me, I was very confused."

She said she "didn't realise" he had pulled her down to the bottom of the groynes near the sea at about 23:30 BST, where he forced her down.

She was on her front lying on the stones and realised afterwards she had been raped, the court heard.

She told police: “I was thinking 'how did I get into this position?' It felt like I was up at the steps a second ago.”

After Mr Eubank walked away, she was “immediately upset” and crying, jurors were told.

The girl told police she said to her friend: “Some guy took me down to the bottom of the beach and I think he raped me.

“I think after that I was just crying for about half an hour probably.”

Ms Cripps told the jurors there was no dispute on behalf of Mr Eubank that he intentionally penetrated the teenager, but that the issue was of consent.

The trial continues.