UK husband accused of drugging and sexually abusing his wife stands trial with 12 others

By Kara Fox, Saskya Vandoorne, CNN

Manchester, England (CNN) — A husband accused of drugging and sexually abusing his wife for more than two decades will go on trial in Manchester, England, on Tuesday, alongside a dozen other men accused of taking part in or helping to facilitate the abuse.

The husband, a man in his 60s from Stockport, in the north of England, has been charged with 48 offenses dating back to 2004, according to prosecutors.

Police are not identifying the husband publicly to protect his wife’s privacy.

The husband initially denied all the offenses. He has since pleaded guilty to 15 counts, according to prosecutors: five counts of rape, six counts of assault by penetration, three counts of sexual assault and one count of sharing intimate images of his wife without her consent.

He has denied the remaining 33 counts.

A thirteenth man, Keith Fotheringham, a 59-year-old from Dundee, Scotland, has separately pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. He remains in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

In preliminary hearings, prosecutors allege some of the men were invited to the couple’s home in Stockport, about 30 minutes’ drive southeast from Manchester, to carry out the alleged crimes.

The 12 co-defendants, aged 28 to 73, come from across the UK and deny the charges against them.

Among them is Jonathan Kirk, 43, a paramedic from Stockport who was photographed shaking hands with Prince Harry in 2011, when the royal visited emergency workers in the area following riots in Manchester and Salford. Kirk is charged with rape, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to assault by penetration.

Also on trial is Karl Lindsay, 55, a former football club chief executive, who is charged with conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.

Other defendants from the Greater Manchester area include:

• Mohammed Sabir, 28, charged with rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration
• Philip Wild, 58, charged with conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, attempted rape and assault by penetration
• Jordan Wallace, 31, charged with rape, conspiracy to rape and attempted rape
• Alan Keelan, 42, a former youth football coach, and Robert Stewart, 70, who have been charged with rape and conspiracy to rape
• Sean Peers, 38, and Richard Townsend, 37, who are facing charges of assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration

Daniel Rayner, 42, of Kent and David Graves, 59, of Derbyshire, are both charged with conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent; Graham Brougham, 73, of Cheshire, is charged with rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration.

They will stand alongside the husband in Minshull Street Crown Court during the scheduled 12-week trial.

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