Brighton police ask two smartly dressed men for help solving brutal attack case

Brighton detectives are trying to trace two smartly dressed men who filmed a busker with a man suspected of carrying out a violent attack in the town centre.

A 22-year-old man was left fighting for his life after he was attacked in Castle Square, Brighton, shortly before 5am on Sunday (10 August).

The suspect is a black man aged 22 to 26 years old. He was wearing a dark hooded top and jeans at the time. He ran off through Pavilion Gardens.

Shortly afterwards he took a Brighton and Hove green and white taxi to Worthing.

Officers have now learnt that at some stage between 4am and 5am the suspect was sat watching and listening to a man busking with a guitar in East Street.

North Street crime scene – Picture by Rebecca Bunker

The busker was performing songs requested by passers-by and was watched by two smartly dressed men.

They recorded him on their mobile phones as the suspect sat alongside the guitarist.

Sussex Police said that detectives were keen to speak to those two men and to watch the footage that they recorded.

One was of mixed race, 25 to 30 years old and muscular. He was wearing a polo shirt.

The second was white and 25 to 35 years old. He was wearing a blue polo shirt, possibly by Ralph Lauren.

Detective Constable Ed Downes said: “Thanks to the public appeal through the media, we have traced both the man with the guitar and the taxi driver who we were looking for.

“The two people watching the busker could also be key witnesses and we are keen to speak to them as soon as possible.

“If you know who they are or where they could be, please contact us.”

Police would also like to speak to anyone who was in Castle Square next to the NatWest bank when the attack happened and who saw the incident or what happened in the minutes before or after it.

Anyone with information is asked to phone Sussex Police on 101, email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.