Cricketer Alex Hepburn, who raped sleeping woman, jailed for five years

Australian-born player convicted over attack that was part of sexual conquest ‘game’

Steven Morris and agency
Wed 1 May 2019 01.26 BST First published on Tue 30 Apr 2019 15.37 BST

A cricketer who raped a woman he found dozing in his teammate’s bedroom has been jailed for five years, with his victim calling it an evil and heinous attack that has left her suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

Alex Hepburn carried out the rape in a dark bedroom during the first night of a sexual conquest “game” described as pathetic, sexist and foul by the sentencing judge.

The Australian-born former Worcestershire all-rounder is said to have been fired up by the contest to sleep with the most women before carrying out the rape in April 2017.

Jurors heard that the woman thought she was having sex with Hepburn’s then county team-mate Joe Clarke, a promising young England batsman, after meeting him at a nightclub. She realised she had been raped by Hepburn when he spoke in an Australian accent.

The woman left the flat and was discovered distressed and sobbing in the street by a passerby.

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