Four men have denied sexually assaulting a woman who prosecutors allege was drugged and advertised online by her former husband, a local government official at the time.
Norman Macksoni, 48, Richard Wilkins, 62, Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, and Mohammed Hassan, 38, have all pleaded not guilty to offences against Joanne Young.
Philip Young, Ms Young’s former husband, has admitted 56 offences committed over 13 years and is jointly charged with the four men. He has also admitted 14 counts of voyeurism, 11 of rape, 11 of administering a substance with intent, seven of assault by penetration, four of sexual assault and one of publishing an obscene article.
Prosecutor Sarah Jones told the court that the former Conservative councillor became obsessed with a sexual fantasy and “set about finding a way to realise his fantasy without her knowing”.
The jury heard that Philip Young used photographs taken without his wife’s knowledge to place advertisements on swinging websites, Grindr and Craigslist. The adverts allegedly portrayed her as bound and blindfolded, while suggesting that she could be made available to other men.
Ms Young, 49, has waived her right to anonymity. She told law enforcement that she had believed she and her husband were in an “always monogamous” relationship, both physically and emotionally, and that she had a traditional view of marriage.
She described her sexual tastes as “vanilla” and said she had always been monogamous. Prosecutors allege that, unknown to her, Philip Young was spiking drinks before sexual assaults took place.
Ms Jones said Ms Young awoke in 2023 to find herself blindfolded and restrained, while her husband was “stage managing another unknown” man carrying out a sexual act on her.
“He presented it as a kink for both of them, but there was no information from Joanne herself to support this,” Ms Jones told the jury. She said the photographs used in the advertisements showed Ms Young “inanimate and tied to the bed blindfolded”.
“The nightcap they shared, it appeared, would be used to plunge her into a state where anything could be done to her by whoever answered and she would be unaware or unable to remember,” the prosecutor said.
The allegations against the four men
Sanderson-Doyle denies sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching. The court heard he responded to an advertisement on Craigslist in 2016.
Prosecutors allege that footage showed Sanderson-Doyle, wearing a balaclava, touching Ms Young while she was tied to a bed. He is accused of continuing after she protested, stopping only when she said: “No, let go.”
Ms Jones said Sanderson-Doyle believed Ms Young had consented and thought the couple were “trying to live out whatever their kink” was.
Macksoni denies a charge of rape. The court heard he told police he believed Ms Young was consenting when he had sex with her while she was blindfolded and shackled in 2017.
That was despite prosecutors alleging that video showed Ms Young speaking with “slurred and confused” speech, while her husband tried to reassure her that she was not being recorded.
Wilkins has pleaded not guilty to rape and assault by penetration. He is alleged to have had sex with Ms Young while she was blindfolded and restrained, despite her appearing to be snoring in footage.
The court heard that Wilkins appeared to consult Philip Young about her condition before carrying out the alleged act. Ms Jones said: “The notion of checking with the woman who is so out of it she is snoring never seems to enter the minds of either,” adding that “they have no interest in her consent”.
Hassan, who denies sexual touching in 2023, is the only one of the four men who was not allegedly captured on video.
Prosecutors said messages on Grindr traced the allegation to an invitation from Philip Young to Hassan, promising that his wife would be bound and “falling asleep”. The jury heard that Philip Young later apologised in messages for his wife’s behaviour on the night of the alleged incident.
Philip Young is due to be sentenced after the trial of the four men. Dean Hamilton, 47, who has also admitted sexual offences against Ms Young, is due to be sentenced at the same time.
