Four Men on Trial for Assaulting Woman Drugged by Her Husband
Defendants in the Joanne Young case told a Winchester court they believed they were participating in a consensual couple's fantasy.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Four men are standing trial in Winchester, England, on charges of sexually assaulting Joanne Young. Young, who is 49 and has waived her right to legal anonymity, was allegedly drugged and restrained by her then husband, Philip Young, before the encounters took place. The defendants deny the charges against them.
The case centers on a relationship that prosecutors say spanned several years in Swindon, Wiltshire. Philip Young, 50, has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of drugging and sexually abusing his wife. The prosecution asserts that he advertised Young online and "loaned" her out to other men for sexual encounters. The four men currently on trial face individual charges related to specific incidents between 2016 and 2017.
Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, is accused of sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching in June 2016. He denies both counts. In police interviews presented to the jury, Sanderson-Doyle explained that he found the couple through an online advertisement on Craigslist. The ad depicted a woman tied and blindfolded. He stated that he believed he was meeting a couple who wanted to "live out whatever their kink is."
Sanderson-Doyle recalled arriving at the home on his motorcycle. He noted the presence of toys inside the house and assumed the couple had children. He found Young tied up and blindfolded, matching the online description. He told investigators that although he heard Young say "No," he interpreted this as a request to change actions rather than a complete stop. He described himself as a young man "trying out things" and said he left when he felt a "vibe she wasn’t enjoying it."
Norman Macksoni, 48, faces a charge of rape from February 2017. He contacted Philip Young through a swingers' website using the username "dark stranger." Macksoni told police that the site was a hub for a "cuckold community" where couples lived out fantasies. He claimed Young appeared "totally coherent" and that the encounter was "just a sex meet." He also noted that Philip Young had told him Young did not like wearing condoms.
The other two defendants are Richard Wilkins, 62, of Toothill, Wiltshire, and Mohammed Hassan, 38, of Swindon. Wilkins has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration. Hassan has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual touching. The trial at Winchester Crown Court is ongoing.
