Man pleads guilty to drugging and raping wife

A former Conservative councillor has pleaded guilty to committing a string of sexual offences, including multiple counts of rape, against his wife over a 13-year period.

Philip Young, who is now divorced from Joanne Young, admitted a number of charges, which also include administering a substance with intent to stupefy and voyeurism.

The 49-year-old, formerly of Swindon but now of Enfield in London, denied eight counts related to making and possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme images.

Four other men charged with sexual offences against Joanne, 48, who has waived her right to anonymity, also appeared at Winchester Crown Court earlier and pleaded not guilty.

A fifth man who has been charged with rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault, will appear in court at a later date.

Philip Young served as a Conservative Swindon Borough councillor for Covingham and Nythe between 2007 and 2010. He was arrested in 2024 and the couple divorced the same year.

He took 27 minutes to enter his guilty pleas to charges including rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and voyeurism. The offences took place between 2010 and 2023.

Young, of Amberley Road, denied three charges of making indecent images of children, alleged to have occurred in July 2024.

He also pleaded not guilty to possessing a prohibited image and four charges of possessing an extreme pornographic image between January 2019 and January 2024.

His ex-wife, Joanne, sat in court to watch the proceedings.

Norman Macksoni, of Wood End Close in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, 47, and Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill in Swindon, Wiltshire, both pleaded not guilty to one count of rape.

Dean Hamilton, 47, of no fixed abode, is yet to enter a plea to the same charge, as well as two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.

Wilkins also pleaded not guilty to one charge of assault by penetration.

Connor Sanderson Doyle, 31, of Crofton Road, Swindon, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.

Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Torun Way in Swindon, pleaded not guilty to sexual touching.

Det Supt Geoff Smith, from Wiltshire Police, paid tribute to Ms Young's "incredible bravery".

"Today's hearing is a significant landmark, which has seen Philip Young admit to dozens of serious sexual offences against Joanne Young," he said.

The Crown Prosecution Service added that it had built a "thorough and compelling case" against Young.

Young was remanded into custody, while the other four defendants were released on conditional bail.

They are due to stand trial on 5 October.

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Police has released images of a man they are hoping to identify in connection with the investigation.

He is described as being of large build, with scarring on the back of his head and a distinctive tattoo on the left side of his chest.

Officers have asked anyone with information about the man to contact police.

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