A former Conservative councillor has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with a catalogue of serious sexual offences against his ex-wife, alleged to have taken place over a 13-year period.
Court Appearance and Charges
Philip Young, 49, formerly of Swindon and now of Enfield, north London, stood before Swindon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. He faces a total of 56 charges relating to alleged incidents between 2010 and 2023. The charges include multiple counts of rape, sexual assault by penetration, and administering a substance with intent to stupefy his former spouse, Joanne Young, 48.
Young, who served as a Conservative councillor on Swindon Borough Council from 2007 to 2010, is also accused of voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children, possession of extreme images, and breaching the Obscene Publications Act on numerous occasions.
Details of the Allegations
The specific charges read out in court include:
- 11 counts of rape.
- 7 counts of sexual assault by penetration.
- 4 counts of sexual touching.
- 11 counts of administering a substance to overpower for sexual activity.
- 13 counts of voyeurism related to videos, plus voyeurism on at least 200 other occasions.
- Possession of 230 indecent images of children, with 139 being the most severe Category A.
- Breaching obscenity laws on at least 500 occasions.
During the brief hearing, Young, wearing dark blue jeans and a black jumper, confirmed his name and address. He declined to indicate a plea at this stage. The prosecutor, Keith Ballinger, stated the case involved indictable-only offences, leading to it being sent to the crown court.
Other Defendants and Next Steps
Five other men are also charged in connection with the case and were due to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon. They are:
- Norman Macksoni, 47, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire: charged with one count of rape and possession of extreme images.
- Dean Hamilton, 46, of no fixed abode: charged with rape, sexual assault by penetration, and two counts of sexual touching.
- Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, of Swindon: charged with sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.
- Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon: charged with rape and sexual touching.
- Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Swindon: charged with sexual touching.
The alleged victim, Joanne Young, has waived her legal right to anonymity. Philip Young was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Swindon Crown Court on 23 January.
