Worcestershire all-rounder Alex Hepburn, who has denied raping a woman, said that he only realised she was in his team-mate’s bed after he had got in beside her, the jury heard on day three of the trial on Wednesday.
According to the prosecution, Hepburn allegedly raped the woman in April 2017 after she engaged in consensual sex with Hepburn’s former teammate Joe Clarke.
At Worcester Crown Court, Hepburn told jurors that while “the lighting was dim” the alleged victim was aware that she was sleeping with him, and not Clarke, and that she “interacted” with him in a normal way. “She rolled over towards me … She kissed me,” he added.
In response to questioning from defence QC Michelle Heeley on whether the woman’s eyes were open, Hepburn said: “Her eyes were open before she kissed me.”
The court heard that the woman, pushed Hepburn off and asked him what he was doing, leaving him “shocked and confused”.
Hepburn said: “She asked me where Joe was and I replied that he was in the bathroom. I was under the impression that what we had been doing was absolutely normal.”
The court also heard that both Hepburn and Clarke were part of WhatsApp group chat which kept record of sex with women.
Hepburn said: “It was meant to be nothing more than immature chat between a group of friends. No thought went into it.”
Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said: “This is a case about you, fired up by this ‘game’ you were so keen to play with your mates, taking advantage of a girl that you knew was asleep in Joe’s bed.”
Hepburn replied: “Not true.”
The trial continues.
