Man Accused of Assault Claims He Didn't Know Wife Was Drugged

A man on trial for sexually assaulting a woman told police he did not know her husband had drugged her, a court heard.

Philip Young, 50, has admitted to nearly 50 sex offenses against his wife, Joanne Young, over a 13-year period. He is not on trial but will be sentenced after the current proceedings, which are expected to last four weeks.

Four other men are currently on trial at Winchester Crown Court, facing charges ranging from rape to sexual touching. These alleged offenses occurred between 2016 and 2023 at the couple's home in Swindon. The accused men are Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, Richard Wilkins, 62, Norman Macksoni, 48, and Mohammed Hassan, 38. All four deny the allegations.

Prosecutor Saraj Jones KC stated that the Crown's case is not that the defendants administered the drugs but that the effects on Ms. Young were apparent to them.

Sanderson-Doyle, who was 21 at the time of the 2016 encounter, was filmed assaulting Ms. Young while she was blindfolded and bound. A video of the incident was shown to the court. In a police statement, Sanderson-Doyle said he stopped the act when he sensed Ms. Young was uncomfortable, adding that Philip Young indicated she was not receptive that night. Sanderson-Doyle told police he believed the situation was consensual and that he was helping the couple fulfill a "kink." He expressed shock upon learning that Ms. Young had been drugged, stating, "I didn’t know some guy was drugging his wife and getting men around to rape her, that’s f*cking gross."

Young's offending came to light in July 2023 when officers, investigating the download of extreme pornographic images, attended his address. Upon examination of his phone, they discovered intimate images of his wife that had been shared from the device. This led to a wider investigation and the seizure of all of Mr. Young's devices.

During the trial, the jury was shown disturbing videos of the alleged sexual abuse involving three of the four defendants. The prosecution indicated that the defense is likely to argue that the men believed Ms. Young consented to the sexual activity, describing this as a "last desperate throw of the dice."

Sanderson-Doyle is charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching. Hassan is accused of sexual touching. Macksoni denies rape, and Wilkins denies rape and sexual assault. The trial is ongoing.