A husband has admitted to 60 charges, including drugging and raping his wife over a 20-year period. The man, in his 60s, pleaded guilty to dozens of charges of rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and attempted rapes at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He also admitted to administering a substance with the intention of stupefying or overpowering his wife to enable sexual activity between November 2004 and October 2025. A further charge of sharing intimate pictures or video footage was also confessed. The offenses occurred at the family home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, until the man's arrest in October 2025.
The wife was present in the public gallery with her two sons during the hearing. She watched as her husband entered his guilty pleas over 18 minutes. The court heard that the husband had previously admitted 15 charges and was due to face trial for the remaining 45.
In addition to the husband's pleas, 13 other men are accused of offenses against the wife. These individuals range in age from 29 to 74 and include an ambulance paramedic, a former nightclub DJ, a football club chief executive, and a university technician. Twelve of these defendants have denied a range of charges, including rape, conspiracy to rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. One defendant has pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to rape.
Among those denying charges are ambulance paramedic Jonathan Kirk, 43, who denies rape and conspiracy charges between 2023 and 2025. Pensioner Graham Brougham, 74, faces similar charges. Former DJ Robert Stewart, 70, denies two counts of rape and one of conspiracy to rape. Mohammed Sabir, 29, denies five counts including rape and conspiracy charges. Alan Keelan, 42, denies rape and attempted rape charges. Jordan Wallace, 31, denies rape and attempted rape charges. Philip Wild, 58, denies attempted rape and conspiracy charges. Sean Peers, 38, denies assault by penetration and conspiracy charges. Former Taunton Football Club chief executive Karl Lindsay, 56, denies conspiracy to administer a substance and conspiracy to rape. Richard Townsend, 37, denies conspiracy and assault by penetration charges. Daniel Rayner, 42, faces similar charges as Lindsay and has pleaded not guilty. David Graves, 59, denies conspiracy to rape and other related charges.
The only other defendant to admit charges is Keith Fotheringham, 59, a technician at the University of Dundee, who pleaded guilty in February 2026 to four offenses between 2023 and 2025, including conspiracy to rape and assault by penetration.
Most defendants are in custody, though Jordan Wallace, Jonathan Kirk, Graham Brougham, Alan Keelan, and Sean Peers have been granted bail. A trial for the remaining defendants is scheduled to begin in October and is expected to last at least two months.