Corey Fiddes: Basketballer, 23, raped woman after she told him she didn’t want to have sex – then performed a vile act as she lay on the floor
A former basketball player will spend at least 40 months behind bars for raping a woman multiple times after she repeatedly told him “no.”
Corey Fiddes, 23, was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday after being found guilty of three charges of rape.
He was a real estate agent and semi-professional basketball player when he met the victim on the dance floor in early 2021.
Fiddes later took the woman to a room where she told him she did not want to have sex.
The court heard the victim ‘became more insistent’ that she did not want to do anything sexual and told Fiddes ‘no, no, no’. Herald Sun reported.
Fiddes said ‘fair enough’, but raped his victim anyway, with his hands over her mouth.
A former basketball player will spend at least 40 months behind bars for raping a woman multiple times after she said ‘no’
The court heard Fiddes told her: ‘You must want (to do) this because you are quite w–‘.
It was also revealed that Fiddes moved his victim from the bed to the floor where he committed a vicious act before the victim’s friends entered the room when they heard noises that ‘worried’ them.
Fiddes told friends he seemed “hated” for “what he did” and then left the house.
References submitted to the court said Fiddes was a ‘fine young man’ and a ‘much loved member of staff’ who was ‘gentle’ and ‘pleasant’.
They also described his despicable sex crimes 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 a family tragedy.
It is understood he sought work as a landscaper while playing semi-professional basketball in the NBL1 league.
Fiddes eventually got his job in real estate, which he had to quit after he was charged in connection with the sex crime.
The court heard Fiddes, who has no previous convictions for sex offences, worked as an apprentice plumber before being taken into custody.
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 a family tragedy.
The victim was in tears as she read her impact statement to the court, which detailed her immense physical and mental suffering following the multiple rapes.
Said also said Fiddes’ offending left her “traumatised” and feeling she had “lost the will to live”.
“(The) trauma of the crime … has caused my mental health to deteriorate,” she told the court.
‘I have a chronic desire to kill myself… before this nightmare started I was so happy.’
If you or someone close to you needs help, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or RESPECT on 1800 737 732.