Former Conservative Councillor Pleads Guilty to Horrific Abuse Campaign
A former Conservative borough councillor has admitted to a shocking catalogue of sexual offences against his ex-wife, including multiple rapes facilitated by drugging, over a period spanning more than a decade. Philip Young, 49, entered guilty pleas to 48 separate charges at Winchester Crown Court, with his ex-wife Joanne Young, 48, present in the courtroom having waived her legal right to anonymity.
Detailed Breakdown of the Charges
Young, who served as a Conservative councillor for Swindon between 2007 and 2010, stood in the dock wearing a grey sweater as the clerk took nearly thirty minutes to read out the extensive list of charges. The offences, which occurred between 2010 and 2024, include:
- Eleven separate counts of rape
- Seven counts of sexual assault by penetration
- Four counts of sexual touching
- Eleven counts of administering a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower to enable sexual activity
- Fourteen counts of voyeurism
- Publishing obscene articles
Prosecutors revealed that some of the rape and sexual assault charges were allegedly committed jointly with other men, indicating a coordinated pattern of abuse. One particularly disturbing voyeurism charge relates to at least 200 separate occasions over the fourteen-year period, while Young admitted publishing non-consensual intimate photographs and videos of his ex-wife on no fewer than 500 occasions.
Other Defendants and Outstanding Charges
The court appearance saw Young standing alongside five other men who are also accused of sexual offences against Ms Young. Four of these men entered not guilty pleas to various charges, while a fifth defendant has yet to enter pleas. The defendants include:
- Norman Macksoni, 47, from Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, who pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and possession of extreme images
- Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, from Swindon, who denied charges of sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching
- Richard Wilkins, 61, from Swindon, who pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration
- Mohammed Hassan, 37, from Swindon, who denied a charge of sexual touching
- Dean Hamilton, 47, of no fixed abode, who is yet to enter pleas to charges including rape and sexual assault
Young himself has denied eight additional charges, including making indecent and prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornography.
Court Proceedings and Background
Ms Young, who divorced her husband following his arrest in 2024, sat in court dressed in a long-sleeved black top, supported by her sister and a witness support officer. Police described Young as a white British national who had moved from Swindon, Wiltshire to Enfield in north London prior to his arrest. He has been remanded in custody at Bullingdon prison.
Judge Angela Morris, the Recorder of Winchester, has set a trial date of 5th October for the outstanding charges against Young and the other defendants, with proceedings expected to last up to six weeks. The case represents one of the most extensive and disturbing sexual offence prosecutions involving a former elected official in recent British legal history.
