Four men went on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of sexually assaulting a woman whose former husband, a former Conservative councillor, admitted drugging and raping her over a 13-year period while advertising her online to strangers.
The trial opened on Tuesday as prosecutors detailed a complex and extensive investigation led by Wiltshire Police. Philip Young, 50, a former cabinet member on Swindon Borough Council, has already pleaded guilty to 56 charges, including 11 counts of rape, 14 counts of voyeurism, and multiple counts of administering a substance with intent to stupefy to allow sexual activity against Joanne Young. Born in Enfield in June 1976, Young graduated from the University of Westminster in 1998 and represented Covingham and Nythe as a Conservative councillor from 2007 to 2010 before resigning as cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development.
Mrs Young, who has waived her right to anonymity, told police she believed she had a normal and monogamous marriage in the traditional sense. But prosecutor Sarah Jones KC told the jury that her husband had systematically exploited her by administering sedative drugs to plunge her into a state where anything could be done to her by whoever answered. The couple had initially come together in 2002 and appeared outwardly to be a normal family living a standard life.
Winchester Crown Court Trial of Four Co-Defendants
Four men are standing trial before Mr Justice Saini at Winchester Crown Court after pleading not guilty to charges involving Mrs Young jointly with her ex-husband. The proceedings are expected to last up to four weeks and involve graphic evidence. A randomly selected jury panel of fourteen individuals was assembled to hear the case.
| Defendant | Age | Location | Charges Denied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Macksoni | 48 | Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire | One count of rape, one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image (Source) |
| Richard Wilkins | 62 | Toothill, Swindon | One count of rape, one count of assault by penetration (Source) |
| Connor Sanderson-Doyle | 32 | Swindon | Sexual assault by penetration, sexual touching (Source) |
| Mohammed Hassan | 38 | Swindon | One count of sexual touching (Source) |
A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton, 47, of Street, Somerset, admitted one charge of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of rape prior to the trial and will not appear before the jury.
Online Advertisements and the Discovery of Abuse
Investigators uncovered the scale of the abuse after Philip Young was flagged for uploading extreme images online in 2023 and police seized his devices. Prosecutors told the court that Young had posted advertisements on Craigslist, Grindr, and swinging websites to invite strangers into the family home. Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith noted that the offender published more than 500 intimate digital files of his ex-wife captured without her consent across the years.
Mr Young had advertised her on Craigslist, Grindr and swinging websites — he sought strangers to come and sleep with his wife, any age, any race – but as close to Swindon as possible so that when the circumstances were right they could be seized upon immediately.
Sarah Jones KC, Prosecutor via LBC
The first indication that her marriage was not what she believed came in 2023, when Mrs Young woke up blindfolded and restrained with restraints while a stranger was present. Ms Jones told the jury that Joanne Young had believed her husband was performing a sexual act on her when in reality he was stage managing another unknown person taking his place without her knowledge.
Judge Warns Jurors About Graphic Trial Imagery
Before hearing testimony, the panel of jurors was warned by Mr Justice Saini that the trial would involve graphic and sexually explicit imagery that some people could find deeply upsetting. Outside Winchester Crown Court, demonstrators gathered on Monday holding banners in support of the rights of female victims of sexual crimes.
Philip Young and Dean Hamilton will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial.