CRICKETER ALEX HEPBURN JAILED FOR RAPE AFTER OZ CRICKET ATTACK
A 23-year-old cricketer received a five-year prison sentence after sexually assaulting a woman he found asleep in the bedroom of a teammate.Alex Hepburn, originally from Australia, was convicted following the incident in Oswestry, which took place in the room of Joe Clarke, a fellow player.
The assault occurred after Hepburn participated in a ‘sexual conquest’ challenge organized through a WhatsApp group.
Prosecutors stated that Hepburn was motivated by a desire to sleep with the most women before the assault, which happened at his residence on Portland Street in Worcester during April 2017.
At Hereford Crown Court, Judge Jim Tindal described Hepburn as an immature individual and condemned a ‘pathetic sexist game’ that he and a former teammate devised to accumulate as many sexual encounters as possible.
The judge remarked that Hepburn may have initially believed such behavior to be 'laddish,' but emphasized that it was actually ‘degrading sexism’ that belittled women and trivialized rape — a word Hepburn had used carelessly in the past.
His defense lawyer, Michelle Heeley QC, noted that Hepburn had shown remorse for his actions.
During the trial, the victim delivered a ‘brave’ impact statement, describing her experience as ‘evil’ and a ‘heinous crime.’ Judge Tindal acknowledged her courage in providing testimony across two trials and expressed hope that she could focus on a brighter future.
A jury convicted Hepburn of oral rape at a retrial earlier in the month but acquitted him of another rape charge related to the same woman.
The four-day court proceedings revealed that the woman initially believed she was engaging in consensual sex with Joe Clarke, who had been her acquaintance from a nightclub.
She testified that during the encounter, Clarke’s bedroom occupant left to vomit and passed out in a bathroom, contributing to her misunderstanding of the situation.
