A British man drugged and raped his wife for 13 years while advertising her on websites for strangers to have sex with her without her consent, a court heard on Tuesday.

Philip Young (50) pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple sexual offences against his then-wife Joanne Young, who has waived her right to anonymity. The charges include rape, voyeurism and administering substances to overpower her.

Four men, aged between 32 and 62, now stand trial at Winchester Crown Court in southern England. They deny sexual offences committed jointly with Philip Young against Joanne. Two face rape charges and two face sexual assault charges.

Advertised on multiple websites

Prosecutor Sarah Jones told the court that Philip Young advertised his wife on Craigslist, Grindr and swinging websites. He sought strangers to come and sleep with his wife.

Young presented the plan as a “kink” for the couple. He suggested she would be in “a state where anything could be done to her by whoever answered and she would be unaware or unable to remember”, Jones said.

The court heard that Young had sought drugs since 2015 that could put his wife “into a deep sleep where she would be disorientated, unaware of her surroundings and unlikely to be able to recall what happened”.

Police found disturbing videos

Police uncovered the case after they flagged Philip Young for uploading extreme images online, Jones said.

Officers searched his property and devices and found videos of Joanne Young restrained in bed “whilst other men engaged in sexual activity with her”.

Three of the defendants appear in the videos, according to Jones.

Victims ‘evidently asleep’

Richard Wilkins (62) faces charges of raping Joanne Young while she could not give consent.

In a video taken the night of the alleged offence in 2016, Joanne Young appears “shackled to the bed” where she can be “heard snoring”, the prosecutor said.

“She is quite evidently asleep,” Jones said.

In another count, the prosecutor accused Norman Macksoni (48) of rape. Jones said Joanne Young’s participation is “wholly akin to what you might expect if someone were drugged”.

Philip Young appeared to be “stage managing” strangers in the bedroom while his wife was in a drowsy or stupefied state, the prosecution said.

The prosecutor said that while the defendants may not have seen Young administer sedatives, the men “could patently see its effect”.

Sentencing awaits trial end

Philip Young, reportedly a former Conservative party councillor, pleaded guilty in January to 48 charges. These include 11 counts of rape and 11 of administering a substance with intent.

A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton (47), also previously admitted to rape and sexual assault linked to this case.

Both Young and Hamilton will receive their sentences at the end of the current trial.

Protesters gathered outside the court on Tuesday for the trial, which is expected to last four weeks. They held signs condemning sexual violence.

Multiple cases of alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault currently move through UK courts. Awareness of the crime has grown following the high-profile 2024 French trial of Dominique Pelicot.

A court found Pelicot guilty of secretly drugging his wife Gisèle for years and inviting scores of men to rape her while she was unconscious.

Gisèle Pelicot also waived her right to anonymity in that trial to raise awareness about sexual violence.

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