Husband drugged wife and invited men to abuse her for 13 years, court told

Philip Young drugged his wife Joanne without her knowledge and advertised her online so strangers could sexually assault her while she was blindfolded and bound, a court has heard. The abuse reportedly continued for 13 years, from 2010 to 2023.

Young, a former Conservative councillor and business consultant, recorded his wife more than 200 times without consent and published obscene material more than 500 times. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to almost 50 sex offences against his ex-wife.

“I almost didn't believe it was real and was waiting to see what he said first.”

Four men – Richard Wilkins, 62, Norman Macksoni, 48, Mohammed Hassan, 38, and Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32 – are on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of assaulting Joanne Young between 2016 and 2023. They deny charges ranging from sexual touching to rape.

Joanne Young, 49, who has waived her right to anonymity, told police she was traumatised after discovering her husband had secretly brought a stranger into their bed. She said she was upset, shocked, and felt the intrusion was something she would never accept.

The mother of three described herself as always monogamous and said she had vanilla sexual tastes. Prosecutor Sarah Jones said Young set out to realise his fantasy without his wife knowing as the idea became fixed in his brain.

The case continues at Winchester Crown Court in Hampshire. Support information for victims of rape was also published alongside the report.