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A former basketball player will spend at least 40 months behind bars for repeatedly raping a woman after she repeatedly told him “no.”
Corey Fiddes, 23, was sentenced in Melbourne County Court on Tuesday after being found guilty of three counts of rape.
He was a real estate agent and semi-professional basketball player when he met the victim on a dance floor in early 2021.
Fiddes then took the woman into a room where she told him she did not want to have sex.
The court heard the victim “was more insistent” that she didn’t want to do anything sexual and told Fiddes “no, no, no”, the Chief reported.
Fiddes replied “that was good”, but raped his victim anyway, with his hands over his mouth.
Former basketball player to spend at least 40 months behind bars for repeatedly raping woman after she said ‘no’
The court heard Fiddes told him “you must want to (do this)” and made a grotesque comment about his genitals.
It was also revealed that Fiddes moved his victim from the bed and onto the floor where he committed a vile act before friends of the victim entered the room after hearing sounds that “concerned” them.
Fiddes told his friends he seemed “hated” for “what he had done”, then left the house.
References which were submitted to the court said Fiddes was a “good young man” and a “well-liked member of staff”, “gentle” and “fun-loving”.
They also described his vile sexual offenses as “completely out of character”.
The court heard Fiddes accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of California but returned to Melbourne after just 12 months due to injury and family tragedy.
It is understood he sought work as a landscaper while playing semi-professional basketball in the NBL1 league.
Fiddes eventually landed his job in real estate, which he was forced to leave after being indicted for a sexual offense.
The court heard Fiddes, who had no previous convictions for sexual offences, worked as an apprentice plumber before being jailed.
The court heard Fiddes accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of California but returned to Melbourne after just 12 months due to injury and family tragedy.
The victim was in tears as she read her statement to the court which described her immense physical and mental suffering following the multiple rapes.
She also said Fiddes’ offending had left her “traumatised” and feeling “a loss of the will to live”.
“(The) trauma of the crime… led to a decline in my mental health,” she told the court.
“I have a chronic desire to kill myself…before this nightmare started I was so happy.”
If you or someone around you needs help, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or RESPECT on 1800 737 732.