Four UK men on trial accused of raping or assaulting drugged woman

Four British men went on trial on Tuesday for raping or sexually abusing a woman who had been advertised online, drugged and filmed by her then-husband, with prosecutors warning the jury that they would “see videos of things you cannot then unsee”. Philip Young, 50, earlier this year pleaded guilty to several offences committed over more than a decade against his ex-wife Joanne Young, who has waived her legal right to anonymity. Four other men who prosecutors say raped or sexually assaulted her between 2016 and 2023 are now standing trial at Winchester Crown Court for offences they allegedly committed with Philip Young. Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, denies one count of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration; Richard Wilkins, 62, denies one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration; Norman Macksoni, 48, denies one count of rape; and Mohammed Hassan, 38, denies one count of sexual assault. “This case is, in effect, about whether it is ever reasonable to have sex or to begin to have sexual contact with an unknown woman without checking with her first,” prosecutor Sarah Jones said. She said Philip Young posted images online of Joanne Young, tied to her bed and blindfolded, as he “sought strangers to come and sleep with his wife – any age, any race”. “He presented it as a kink for both of them but there was no information from Joanne herself to support that,” Jones added. Without Joanne Young’s knowledge or consent, Jones said, Philip Young had regularly drugged her and invited strangers who responded to online posts to have sex with her, watching and filming while it happened. Police found those videos after an account linked to Philip Young posted bestiality images online in 2023 and his devices were seized. Jones said that Joanne Young had consented to Philip Young’s preference for her to be blindfolded and restrained during sex, but one evening around 2023 woke up to discover a stranger was in the room. Philip Young said on that occasion he had invited someone to watch the couple having sex, but after his arrest police found videos of strangers sexually assaulting or raping Joanne Young, the prosecutor said. “You are going to see videos of things you cannot then unsee and may find you can’t forget,” Jones told the jury. The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.