Man, Others Accused of Sex Offences Against Ex-Wife

A British man, Philip Young, accused of repeatedly drugging and raping his former wife over 13 years, appeared in court on Tuesday, alongside five other men charged with a range of sexual offences against the same woman.

Young appeared briefly at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in Wiltshire for his first hearing, where he confirmed his personal details but did not enter a plea.

The 49-year-old, reported to be a former Conservative councillor, was remanded in custody and will next appear at Swindon Crown Court on January 23.

Young faces 56 charges, including rape and administering a substance with the intent to stupefy his ex-wife, Joanne Young, who is 48. She has chosen to waive her automatic legal right to anonymity.

Additional charges against Young include voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme images. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2010 and 2023.

Later the same day, five other men aged between 31 and 61 appeared before the same magistrates’ court. Their cases were also sent to the Crown Court and are due to be heard alongside Young’s on January 23.

Among them, Norman Macksoni, 47, who faces two charges, including one count of rape, and Dean Hamilton, also 47, charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching, both entered not guilty pleas.

Richard Wilkins, 61, accused of rape and sexual touching; Conner Sanderson Doyle, charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching; and Mohammed Hassan, 37, accused of a single sexual touching offence, did not enter pleas at this stage.

The five men were released on conditional bail and ordered not to contact one another, Philip Young or the complainant. They left the court separately without making any statements.

Wiltshire Police said the charges followed what it described as a complex and extensive investigation.

Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith confirmed that Joanne Young had decided to waive her anonymity after receiving support from specialist officers and discussing the implications with police and support services.

The case has drawn comparisons with a high-profile trial in France in 2024, in which Dominique Pelicot was convicted of drugging his wife over several years and arranging for multiple men to rape her while she was unconscious.