'Arrogant' Cricketer Alex Hepburn jailed for five years for raping woman as his disgusting W
Cricketer Alex Hepburn's victim has described her constant anxiety after the 'privileged' athlete raped her 'as part of a laddish game' as he was jailed on Tuesday for five years, Daily Mail reported.
Former Worcestershire star Alex Hepburn raped the woman as she slept in his flat in Worcester after she had sex with his teammate Joe Clarke.
The rape victim's words, read by prosecutor Miranda Moore QC, described how she suffered recurring nightmares in the form of 'a repeat of the rape' nearly every night of the week, adding the pressures of coping with her ordeal had eventually ended her relationship with her then-boyfriend.
'I take off my hat to anyone who can hold down a healthy happy relationship, after being raped,' she added.
She said: 'I am flooded with guilt that I can't ever seem to escape.
'Now all the people I care and love suffer as well.'
Her once 'happy-go-lucky' character had now also disappeared, adding: 'I mourn who I used to be.'
She said: 'I can't remember the last time I went anywhere without creating mental escape plans, just in case.'
Hepburn's girlfriend Lucy Street, who has been at his side throughout his court appearances, watched as he was today locked up for the 'evil' crime, which will see him made to sign the sex offenders register for life.
His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was horrified when she woke up in the early hours of April 1 2017 to find it was Hepburn not Clarke in bed with her.
The all-rounder's trial at Hereford Crown Court heard how he and Clarke had exchanged vile messages boasting about how they got women 'blind and then back to ours'.
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Hepburn is pictured hand in hand with his girlfriend Lucy Street arriving at Hereford Crown Court today where he was sentenced to five years in prison
Hepburn wrote in one message: 'Got to understand that Hepperdawg is a horny c*** and without you keeping my head straight just goes and does rogue things.'
The sportsman told a retrial his victim had made eye contact with him and then kissed him, instigating a consensual sexual encounter lasting around 20 minutes.
But jurors didn't believe him and he was today sentenced to five years behind bars and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.
Blasting him, judge Jim Tindal said: 'I sentence you on the basis the jury were sure the victim was woken by you but was still barely awake and in the dark thought you were Joe Clarke.
'You thought you were god's gift to women. You saw the victim as a piece of meat, not another human entitled to respect.'
Clarke and the victim had consensual sex before he passed out in the bathroom after being sick, the court heard.
Hepburn then took his opportunity to orally rape the girl and use her as a 'disposable object'.
The judge praised the victim's impact statement, read to court by the prosecution's barrister, describing it as 'one of most articulate and powerful descriptions of rape I have ever read'.
In it, the woman Hepburn attacked described her ordeal as 'evil' and a 'heinous crime'.
Her words, read by Miranda Moore QC, prosecuting, described how she suffered recurring nightmares in the form of 'a repeat of the rape' nearly every night of the week, adding the pressures of coping with her ordeal had eventually ended her relationship with her then-boyfriend.
'I take off my hat to anyone who can hold down a healthy happy relationship, after being raped,' she added.
She said: 'I am flooded with guilt that I can't ever seem to escape.
'Now all the people I care and love suffer as well.'
Her once 'happy-go-lucky' character had now also disappeared, she said, adding: 'I mourn who I used to be.'
She said: 'I can't remember the last time I went anywhere without creating mental escape plans, just in case.'
Describing the impact on her physical and emotional health, she now suffered panic attacks, anxiety, and 'violent anger outbursts', and had struggled to hold down a steady job.
Continuing her statement, she added that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She said that having to give evidence to a courtroom 'full of strangers' on two occasions, while family members including her father 'had to sit and listen to every detail', had been 'humiliating'.
Hepburn's barrister, Michelle Heeley QC, said her client had expressed 'true remorse', had never set out to hurt anyone, and had received 'death threats' following his conviction.
She added her client had been 'very young and immature, at the time', and 'living a life - he accepts a privileged life - and to an extent, he abused that privilege'.
Ms Heeley said: 'He has lost everything: his career, his good character and ultimately his liberty and how he comes back from that is a very difficult question.'
After sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wall, of West Mercia Police, said: 'We welcome the sentence today and I hope it will offer some comfort to the victim, who has shown great courage and strength in coming forward in reporting this to us, throughout the investigation and in giving evidence in court.'
Hepburn is pictured being led to a prison van from Hereford Crown Court by a prison officer following his sentencing this afternoon
The victim woke to find Hepburn straddling her while she was still 'in a daze' and pushed him away before running from the flat where she was found in a state of distress by a passer-by.
She told police she had thought it had been Clarke 'being cheeky' and 'went along with it' before realising it was Hepburn.
She told police: 'It wasn't until I heard his voice and touched his hair I realised it wasn't Joe.'
Giving evidence, the victim sobbed: 'When I realised it was him, I was confused.
'I couldn't understand why it wasn't the person who I fell asleep next to. When I pushed him he was kind of pawing at my legs and encouraging me telling I'm beautiful.'
In her victim impact statement read today she she said she now suffers panic attacks, anxiety, and 'violent anger outbursts', and struggled to hold down a steady job.
She added she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She said that having to give evidence to a courtroom 'full of strangers' on two occasions, while family members including her father 'had to sit and listen to every detail', had been 'humiliating'.
Hepburn is pictured hand in hand with his girlfriend Lucy Street at a previous hearing at Worcester Crown Court on April 8
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My view: He destroyed the woman's life and and his own life, because of a disgusting immature sex game, he was 21 at the time. He has wasted his future, it is sad. I don't get why some women get drunk and go home with complete strangers, even if the person is a sportsman he's still a stranger you just met.
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