Musician Accused of Rape Denies Charges, Claims Consent

A musician accused of rape has denied the charges, with their defense stating that the sexual encounter was consensual. Sab Cox, a biological male who identifies as non-binary and uses male pronouns, is on trial at the Old Bailey for an alleged assault on December 31, 2022.

Prosecutor Simon Ward told the court that Cox had traveled from Birmingham to London to celebrate New Year's Eve with the complainant, who is also non-binary. According to the prosecution, tensions arose on a bus ride back to the complainant's residence. Ward stated that Cox allegedly became aggressive after taking exception to someone looking at his date, punching a window on the bus. The complainant recalled Cox saying, "I see myself as a guy and you're a girl and I have to protect you," which she found confusing.

When they arrived at the complainant's bedsit, Cox allegedly initiated sexual activity. The prosecution contends that when the complainant repeatedly asked Cox to stop, he responded, "I don't care." Following the encounter, Cox allegedly apologized, saying, "I know I've done something bad. I've taken advantage of you."

Cox left the complainant's residence without his belongings. According to the prosecution, he later called the complainant from Drayton Park station, stating "listen to this" before jumping onto the tracks. The complainant then contacted the police, who arrested Cox at the station.

During cross-examination, the complainant stated they were confused by Cox's comments on the bus but that it did not change their feelings about him at the time. The defense asked if Cox's statements made them feel differently about him, to which the complainant replied, "No, I was just confused about what had been presented previously."

Cox's defense maintains that the sex was consensual. The court heard that Cox corrected an officer who referred to the complainant as 'she,' explaining that the complainant was "assigned female at birth so are biologically female but identifies as non-binary so does not associate with male or female."

Cox testified that he had consensual sex with the complainant multiple times and was "in love with her and enjoyed spending time with her."

The complainant's mother provided a statement to the court, stating that her daughter had told her the day after the alleged attack that she "had been seriously sexually assaulted by Sabrina."

The trial is ongoing.