A former Tory councillor has appeared in court charged with drugging and raping his former wife over a period of 13 years.
Philip Young, 49, and five other men have been accused of more than 60 rapes and sexual offences against Joanne Young, 48. She can be named as the alleged victim because she has waived her right to anonymity, which would otherwise apply.
Young, who was described by police as white British, appeared at Swindon magistrates court on Tuesday charged with 56 offences, including multiple counts of rape and administering a substance with intent to stupefy his former spouse.
He is also accused of voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme images.
He was remanded into custody and will appear at Swindon crown court on 23 January.
Wearing dark blue jeans and a black jumper, Young spoke to confirm his name and address during the brief hearing. When asked if he wished to indicate a plea at this stage, he shook his head.
Young, formerly of Swindon, Wiltshire, and now of Enfield, north London, was a Conservative councillor on Swindon borough council from 2007 to 2010.
The five other men charged in the case appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon. They are:
Norman Macksoni, 47, a black British national of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, who has been charged with one count of rape and possession of extreme images. He appeared in court wearing a dark three-piece suit and indicated a not guilty plea.
Dean Hamilton, 47, of Compton Dundon in Somerset, who is white British, has been charged with one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching. He wore a light-coloured top and combat trousers and indicated a not guilty plea.
Connor Sanderson Doyle, 31, of Swindon, described as white British, has been charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching. Wearing a white jumper and with his hair in a ponytail, he did not indicate a plea.
Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon, who is white British, has been charged with one count of rape and sexual touching. He appeared in the dock in a black jacket and did not indicate a plea.
Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Swindon, described by police as British Asian, has been charged with sexual touching. He wore a black jacket and did not indicate a plea.
The men were released on conditional bail and are to appear at Swindon crown court alongside Young on 23 January.
The magistrate Martin Clarke told the defendants: “You are all going to be released on conditional bail. Those conditions are that you have no contact, direct or indirect, with Joanne Young.”
He said the men were not to contact her via social media or by passing on a letter, or attend her home. “If you’re caught there, you’re back inside,” he said.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2010 and 2023.
The charges against Young are 11 counts of rape; seven counts of sexual assault by penetration; four counts of sexual touching; 11 counts of administering a substance with the intent of stupefying or overpowering to allow sexual activity; 13 counts of voyeurism specific to videos, as well as voyeurism on at least 200 other occasions; and possession of 230 indecent images of children, including 139 category A images.
He is alleged to have been found with three prohibited images and 82 extreme images, and faces one charge each for four types, namely “rape, animals, death and gore”. He is also accused of breaching section 1 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 on at least 500 occasions.
