Life Sentence For Man Who Drugged And Raped Women And Girls

Shane ‘Blue’ Gibbs, who drugged and raped multiple women and girls across Sussex, has been given a life sentence.

Gibbs, 35, of no fixed address, was found guilty of multiple offences against four women and two girls at Lewes Crown Court in November.

At the same court on Friday (14 March), Gibbs was given a life sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years and 299 days in custody.

Police first became aware of Gibbs’ offending on 24 December, 2023, and an urgent search was launched to locate him.

Enquiries linked Gibbs to six attacks during December. Five of his victims he stupefied with drugs, before raping them. 

All of the victims were supported by specialist officers, while Gibbs was located in a Portsmouth hotel on 4 January, 2024, and arrested.

He was subsequently charged with eight counts of rape, five counts of sexual assault by penetration, and one count each of intentional strangulation, false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm.

He denied all the charges. At Lewes Crown Court on Friday, 29 November, he was found guilty of all charges except one count of rape, of which he was found not guilty.

Gibbs’ victims submitted personal statements sharing the lasting impact of his offending. Some excerpts are below:

Statement 1

“It has taken me a month nearly to write this statement with the months running up to it thinking about how best to get you to understand the impact this man has had on me, my life which then extends to my children’s lives.

“The truth is there isn't one, I couldn't put into words the level of anguish and sorrow for you to comprehend just how much Shane has broken me.

“I am no longer [name redacted]; I never will be again.

“I don’t want to be her either, she is an idiot that let a man fool her, a jester in a knight’s armour.

“I can’t love the way I loved before because I cannot trust the way I did.

“I don't trust myself anymore, how can I trust my own judgement again? I trusted this person, his words and I lost myself to that. How can I look at anyone and believe what they say or do?”

Statement 2

“I feel violated by Shane Gibbs and I think that even the thought of him doing what he did to us is horrible. We were all so vulnerable and I look much younger than my age. This has opened my eyes to a lot.

“At first I didn’t realise I had been raped but then the feeling that I couldn’t move, I blamed myself at first and my mental health declined. The mania I felt showed how poorly I was and I have since been diagnosed as having PTSD. I feel like a different person to who I was before Shane raped me.”

Detective Constable Vicki Blythe said: “Shane Gibbs subjected these women to horrific ordeals, but thanks to their strength and determination he has now faced justice.

“No jail sentence can make up for the trauma he has inflicted, but I hope these six brave victims now have the time and space to move on with their lives.

“These women have been at the forefront of our minds throughout this complex investigation.

“I would like to thank all involved for helping to support them and put a dangerous predator behind bars.”

Detective Superintendent Ben Newman said:

“From the moment we were made aware of Gibbs’ offending, we have worked tirelessly with our partners and other forces to protect his victims and ensure he was held to account for his crimes.

“Complex investigations such as these rely on the collaboration of a huge number of people, and I would like to thank everyone involved for their outstanding work.

“Victims sit at the heart of all of our investigations, and as a force we have undertaken a full review of how we investigate rape and other serious sexual offences to give us the best possible chance of catching offenders, while supporting their victims.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending, please report to us in the confidence you will be heard and supported, and we will do absolutely everything we can to secure the justice you deserve.”

Emma Lile of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Gibbs was a sexual predator who went around Brighton preying on vulnerable young women in pursuit of his own hideous purposes.

“We would like to extend a special thanks to the victims who came forward to report these crimes and gave evidence to a court about their horrific experiences.

“These convictions send a very clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who abuse or sexually exploit women.

“I encourage any victims of violence against women in girls in whatever form to report the crimes committed against them. It is never too late to seek justice - you are not alone and there is help available.”