A graveyard rapist has lost his appeal against convictions for groping a girl and fracturing her friend's cheek.

Alex Maynard, 17, of The Crescent, Bevendean, Brighton, was jailed for 18 months after being convicted in June of sexual assault and grievous bodily harm.

This was a month before he was given a four-and-a-half year sentence for raping a girl in a graveyard after he left a Brighton nightclub with her.

During his appeal on the groping and GBH charges at Hove Crown Court last week he claimed another boy was responsible for the incidents.

Maynard refused to "grass" on his friend by revealing his name but three other friends told the court they saw another man commit the crimes.

Judge Anthony Niblett yesterday dismissed the appeal.

He said the three witnesses' evidence was part of a manufactured plan to transfer the blame on someone who could not be prosecuted at this late stage while also securing Maynard's acquittal.

Mr Niblett said: "It was this appellant who committed both these offences and accordingly we dismiss the appeal against conviction."

Maynard was identified by witnesses as the youth who put his hand up the skirt of a 19-year-old girl at a bus stop at Churchill Square, Brighton, and grabbed her between the legs on November 11 last year. They claimed the same person was responsible for headbutting and punching Lisa Hopkins in the face, fracturing her cheek, as she celebrated her 19th birthday.

The victim of the sexual assault, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said a group of youths surrounded her 14-year-old friend at the bus stop and started chatting her up.

She said one of them put his hand up her skirt from behind and grabbed her vagina for about five seconds.

Miss Hopkins said she panicked and flicked her cigarette in the attacker's face to warn him off, and then the attacker headbutted her on the bridge of the nose and hit her on the right cheek.

Both girls admitted drinking during the evening. But Mr Niblett yesterday told the court that a sober girl in the group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a compelling witness in her identification of Maynard as the culprit.

He said: "She had the man who she says was responsible for the assaults in her sight for some 20 minutes. She was in close proximity to that man."

Maynard has lodged an appeal against the rape conviction and is awaiting a hearing.

A graveyard rapist has lost his appeal against convictions for groping a girl and fracturing her friend's cheek.

Alex Maynard, 17, of The Crescent, Bevendean, Brighton, was jailed for 18 months after being convicted in June of sexual assault and grievous bodily harm.

This was a month before he was given a four-and-a-half year sentence for raping a girl in a graveyard after he left a Brighton nightclub with her.

During his appeal on the groping and GBH charges at Hove Crown Court last week he claimed another boy was responsible for the incidents.

Maynard refused to "grass" on his friend by revealing his name but three other friends told the court they saw another man commit the crimes.

Judge Anthony Niblett yesterday dismissed the appeal.

He said the three witnesses' evidence was part of a manufactured plan to transfer the blame on someone who could not be prosecuted at this late stage while also securing Maynard's acquittal.

Mr Niblett said: "It was this appellant who committed both these offences and accordingly we dismiss the appeal against conviction."

Maynard was identified by witnesses as the youth who put his hand up the skirt of a 19-year-old girl at a bus stop at Churchill Square, Brighton, and grabbed her between the legs on November 11 last year. They claimed the same person was responsible for headbutting and punching Lisa Hopkins in the face, fracturing her cheek, as she celebrated her 19th birthday.

The victim of the sexual assault, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said a group of youths surrounded her 14-year-old friend at the bus stop and started chatting her up.

She said one of them put his hand up her skirt from behind and grabbed her vagina for about five seconds.

Miss Hopkins said she panicked and flicked her cigarette in the attacker's face to warn him off, and then the attacker headbutted her on the bridge of the nose and hit her on the right cheek.

Both girls admitted drinking during the evening. But Mr Niblett yesterday told the court that a sober girl in the group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a compelling witness in her identification of Maynard as the culprit.

He said: "She had the man who she says was responsible for the assaults in her sight for some 20 minutes. She was in close proximity to that man."

Maynard has lodged an appeal against the rape conviction and is awaiting a hearing.