A wife was allegedly subjected to years of sexual abuse by her husband and a string of other men, and was found to have a "potentially fatal" cocktail of 11 drugs in her system, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court has heard.
The woman believed she was only taking multivitamins and prescribed medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and heartburn. However, after her husband's arrest in October 2025, a hair sample test revealed she had been secretly given drugs including morphine, cocaine, ketamine, tranquilizers, and sedatives.
Prosecutor Louise Oakley KC stated that these drugs, combined with alcohol, had unpredictable and potentially fatal effects. Nine men are currently on trial, accused of sexually abusing the woman at her home in Stockport, while four others have already admitted to offenses against her.
The husband, who cannot be named to protect his wife's identity, has admitted to raping his wife over a 20-year period and secretly administering drugs to her after she had been drinking wine. He reportedly began sharing images and footage of the abuse online in 2015 and, starting in 2023, invited men he met online to the couple's home.
The abuse continued until October of the previous year, when undercover journalists infiltrated online messaging groups where footage was being shared, leading them to contact the police.
According to Ms. Oakley, the hair sample analysis can provide a historical timeline of drug exposure over weeks, months, or up to a year, depending on hair length. The tests found 11 drugs, none of which had been prescribed to the woman. The prosecutor noted that the results might be an underestimate, as the woman had her hair dyed every five weeks, which can remove evidence.
The court heard that the husband's internet browsing history revealed extensive searches between October 2014 and October 2025 for various medications and illegal drugs, including their effects, dosages, purchasing, and the dangers of mixing them with alcohol. A search of the couple's home uncovered plastic pipettes containing zolpidem and blister packs of Viagra, zolpidem, and diazepam.
Messages presented in court indicated discussions about drugs between the husband and co-defendants. In one instance, after a visit from one of the accused, Robert Stewart, 70, a message was sent urging the husband to "delete all images" and referencing a case in France involving a woman raped by her husband, Gisèle Pelicot.
Nine men are currently on trial for various sexual offenses, with most denying the charges. The trial, which is expected to last at least two months, is ongoing.