A 32-year-old man has been charged with false imprisonment and robbery after a woman was reportedly held against her will at an address in Eastbourne, Sussex Police said on Monday 26 October.
Ben Tullett, of no fixed address, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 22 October and was remanded into custody. His next court appearance is on 19 November. The charges are allegations, and Mr Tullett has not been convicted of these charges.
What he is charged with
The force says Mr Tullett was charged with false imprisonment; robbery; threatening a person with an offensive weapon, bladed article or corrosive substance in a private place; use of a motor vehicle in a public place without third-party insurance; and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
The last two are road traffic charges.
What happened and when
Sussex Police say they received a report on Monday 19 October that a woman had been held against her will by a man at an address in Eastbourne. It is understood the incident took place between 1pm and 3pm, and no injuries were reported.
Following what the force calls swift enquiries, officers arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with the incident on 21 October. He was charged and appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 22 October.
What the charges mean
ImJustBrighton note. Robbery is defined in Section 8 of the Theft Act 1968. A person is guilty of robbery if they steal and, immediately before or at the time of doing so and in order to do so, use force on any person or put or seek to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force. On conviction on indictment, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
Being remanded in custody means a defendant is kept in prison until their next court date rather than being released on bail. It is not a finding of guilt. The case will now be decided by the courts.
For another Eastbourne court story, see our report on the £34m cocaine haul landed at Eastbourne Marina.
If you have been affected
If you have information about this case, contact Sussex Police on 101, or call 999 in an emergency.
Victim Support offers free, confidential support to anyone affected by crime, whether or not it has been reported to the police. Its free support line is 08 08 16 89 111, open 24 hours a day, every day, and it also has a live chat on its website.
We will update this story when more is reported about the case.
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