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Alex Hepburn: Cricketer jailed for five years for rape of woman | Alex Hepburn: Cricketer jailed for five years for rape of woman |
(30 minutes later) | |
A "foul sexist" cricketer has been jailed for raping a sleeping woman. | |
Ex-Worcestershire player Alex Hepburn assaulted the victim at his Worcester flat after she had consensual sex with his then teammate Joe Clarke in 2017. | Ex-Worcestershire player Alex Hepburn assaulted the victim at his Worcester flat after she had consensual sex with his then teammate Joe Clarke in 2017. |
The 23-year-old was found guilty of rape earlier this month and sentenced to five years at Hereford Crown Court. | The 23-year-old was found guilty of rape earlier this month and sentenced to five years at Hereford Crown Court. |
Judge Jim Tindal told him the sexual conquest "game" he had set up on a WhatsApp group, was "laddish" behaviour that "demeaned women". | Judge Jim Tindal told him the sexual conquest "game" he had set up on a WhatsApp group, was "laddish" behaviour that "demeaned women". |
He told Hepburn he had "arrogantly" believed his victim would consent, during the attack. | |
"You thought you were God's gift to women," he said. | |
"You did see her at that moment as a piece of meat, not a woman entitled to respect. | |
"Sex is something people do together, with that particular person at that particular time." | |
Hepburn was found guilty of one count of oral rape and cleared of one rape charge following a retrial at Worcester Crown Court. | |
The woman woke up after a night out on 1 April and wrongly believed she was having sex with Mr Clarke before realising it was actually Hepburn, jurors hear during the trial. | |
Hepburn's bid to collect "as many sexual encounters as possible" as part of the WhatsApp game was "foul sexism", Judge Tindal said. | |
"It demeaned women and trivialised rape - a word you personally threw around lightly," the judge said. | "It demeaned women and trivialised rape - a word you personally threw around lightly," the judge said. |
"Only now do you realise how serious rape is." | "Only now do you realise how serious rape is." |
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |