Four men are standing trial at Winchester Crown Court in the UK, accused of raping or sexually assaulting a woman whose former husband allegedly drugged her, filmed the abuse and advertised her on online platforms without her knowledge or consent. Norman Macksoni, 48, Richard Wilkins, 62, Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, and Mohammed Hassan, 38, have denied the charges against them. The alleged offences took place between 2016 and 2023, BBC reported.
The trial began with prosecutor Sarah Jones KC telling the jury that the case centred on whether it could ever be reasonable to engage in sexual activity with an unknown woman without first establishing her consent. The woman's former husband, Philip Young, 50, pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple sexual offences committed against her over more than a decade. Joanne Young has waived her legal right to anonymity.
Husband Allegedly Drugged And Filmed Wife
The prosecution alleges that Philip Young regularly drugged his then-wife and invited strangers to have sex with her while she was unaware of what was happening. He allegedly posted images of her, blindfolded and restrained on a bed, on platforms including Craigslist, Grindr and swinging websites to attract men.
"He presented it as a kink for both of them, but there was no information from Joanne herself to support that," prosecutor Sarah Jones said. The court heard that since 2015 Young had sought drugs that could put his wife "into a deep sleep where she would be disorientated, unaware of her surroundings and unlikely to be able to recall what happened".
According to the prosecution, Young watched and filmed the encounters. The court heard that Joanne had agreed to being blindfolded and restrained during consensual sexual activity with her husband. However, prosecutors said there was no evidence that she had consented to sexual encounters with strangers.
The alleged abuse came to light after an online account linked to Philip Young posted images of bestiality in 2023. Police subsequently seized his electronic devices and discovered videos of men allegedly raping or sexually assaulting Joanne.
The prosecution also described an incident in 2023 when Joanne woke up wearing restraints and a blindfold. She believed her husband was engaging in a sexual act with her, but prosecutors allege that another man had taken his place without her knowledge or consent.
"You are going to see videos of things you cannot then unsee and may find you can't forget," Jones told the jury.
The four defendants face different charges relating to alleged incidents in 2016, 2017 and 2023. The jury will consider the evidence presented during the trial before reaching its verdicts. The proceedings are expected to last up to four weeks.
Former Husband Admitted Multiple Sexual Offences
Philip Young, a former councillor, has admitted a series of offences against Joanne spanning 13 years. His guilty pleas include 11 counts of rape, 14 counts of voyeurism, 11 counts of administering a substance with intent, seven counts of assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault and one count of publishing an obscene article.
The court also heard that he published more than 500 intimate images and videos of Joanne and recorded her performing private acts without her consent between 2010 and 2024.
Young, formerly of Swindon and now living in Enfield, London, also admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, one charge of possessing prohibited images of children and four charges involving extreme pornographic images.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
