Judge tells Chris Eubank's son to 'reflect on behaviour'

A judge has told boxer Chris Eubank's son Joseph to 'reflect on your behaviour' after he was cleared of raping a 16-year-old girl near Brighton Pier.

The 27-year-old, of Hove, had previously denied attacking the drunk girl in a dark and secluded part of the beach on July 16, 2022.

He instead said the teenager was 'completely happy' during the encounter and told jurors it was 'all very fluent and very consensual'.

Today, he was found not guilty at Lewes Crown Court of two counts of rape.

Speaking after the unanimous verdict, Her Honour Judge Christine Laing KC told Mr Eubank he needed to reflect on his behaviour.

The judge told him: 'You need to think about your behaviour, Mr Eubank.

'You do have to reflect on your behaviour, it was not decent behaviour in any way, shape or form.'

Mr Eubank's solicitor Shahid Choudhry said in a statement after the verdict that his client was 'hugely relieved'.

'This has been an extremely difficult time for him and his family. The allegation has been hanging over him for some two-and-a-half years and he wishes to express his gratitude to the court for ensuring he received a fair trial.

'Joseph's life has been at a standstill since he was an arrested and he can now move on to rebuild his future.

'Joseph would like to thank his family for his unwavering and unfailing support throughout.'

Mr Eubank had given evidence at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday, saying that he approached the girl standing near the seafront because he was attracted to her and started a conversation.

The court had heard from prosecutor Beverly Cripps how the teenager had been drinking vodka with friends celebrating a birthday and had never been drunk like that before and 'couldn't see straight'.

But Eubank, who said he had not drunk alcohol that night, said 'she looked completely sober' during their chat near the beach and he did not think she was drunk.

'There were smirks and smiles, there were intense looks her and I were sharing while having these conversations that suggested we were both quite attracted to one another,' he told the court.

Jurors had heard from the alleged victim that she was 'rushed' down the beach and that she was falling on the stones because she could not stand up, and Eubank kept pulling her back up.

But Eubank said as they set off for a walk he interlocked arms with the teenager and 'slowly and calmly' walked to the seaside.

Asked if the pair had discussed what they would do at the beach, Eubank replied no, adding: 'Her body language on the night was very clear to me.'

He said they began kissing in the secluded part of the beach before she asked about his age, which was when he learned she was 16.

He told jurors his reaction was to pull back, gasp and said 'oh shit' but said she replied: 'No, no, no, it's fine, it's ok.'

Asked as they continued if there was difficulty, Eubank added: 'She was showing no signs of restraint, she was completely happy in the environment, we both were.'

He told the court how after the 25 minutes together, he went back up to the beach to meet his cousin who had been calling him, but on reflection knew it was the 'wrong thing to do' and that if he had not left her on her own on the beach he would not be in this situation.

Eubank later texted the teenager to see if she wanted to meet up again later that evening in a message which read: 'Hey pup are you ready for round two'.

Asked why he did not tell police about the message, he said: 'I thought the police would be able to figure all this out very quickly. I didn't think it would ever get this far.

'I thought after CCTV footage was checked, I thought I would be proven very innocent.'

Mr Eubank refused to give police access to his phone after he was arrested.

He told police he would not give them the PIN code following the death of his brother in Dubai and concerns for the mental health of their father Chris.

The first anniversary of the death of Sebastian Eubank had passed two weeks before he met the girl.

Joseph Eubank told the jury: 'Before all this happened, one of my family members passed away.

'My father was going through a difficult time mentally and I didn't want anybody having access to my phone.'

Eubank denied there was anything on his phone he did not want police to see.

He was supported throughout the trial by his mother Karron.

The couple divorced in 2005 and none of his other family attended the trial in Lewes.

Less than a month before the incident, Mr Eubank admitted drug driving.

Traffic cops described Chris Eubank's son as looking Quite relaxed when they pulled him over for drug driving.

Magistrates in Brighton banned him from driving for a year.

In a statement released after today's verdict, Sussex Police Detective Constable Em Hayler, said: 'We respect the decision of the jury and the judicial process.

'We acknowledge the impact this case has had on everyone involved throughout the past two years.

'I'd like to thank everyone who assisted us in our investigation and the subsequent court process.'