Australian cricketer Alex Hepburn has been imprisoned for five years after a UK court found him guilty of raping a woman in 2017.
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A jury found that Hepburn, 23, committed one count of oral rape against a woman who was sleeping in the bedroom of his housemate, fellow Worcestershire county cricketer Joe Clarke.
The court heard the woman had come home with Clarke after an night out, but he left the bedroom to be sick in the bathroom. Clarke passed out.
In an impact statement, the woman said Hepburn then committed his “heinous crime.”
Speaking at Hepburn’s sentencing yesterday, Judge Jim Tindal damned his actions, and his participation in a WhatsApp group where other young men competed to see who could sleep with the most women.
“You probably thought it was laddish behaviour at the time,” he said.
“In truth it was foul sexism.”
Hepburn was cleared of a second rape charge pertaining to the same woman.
Hepburn denied both charges laid against him.
Discussing the woman’s strength through the court process and an earlier mistrial, Tindal said “I hope she can now finally be able to look to her future which will be, I am sure, bright.”
This article discusses sexual assault. If you would like to talk to a counsellor about rape, sexual assault or domestic violence, give the people over at 1800 RESPECT a call on 1800 737 732.
