Manchester husband and 12 men on trial for drugging and raping wife over two decades
A jury of 12 was seated in Manchester for the trial of a man and 12 co-defendants accused of drugging and repeatedly raping his wife. The case echoes the Pelicot mass rape trial in France.
Manchester jury seated for mass rape trial involving husband and 12 co-defendants
A jury of five men and seven women was selected Wednesday at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester for the trial of a husband and 12 other men charged with sexual offenses against a woman who prosecutors say was drugged and repeatedly abused at her partner's instruction over more than two decades, Courthouse News Service reports.
Judge Maurice Greene sent the jurors home until Thursday. Two women were chosen as alternates. "Because it is a lengthy case, I have to make sure that the 12 who are ultimately this jury is going to be available throughout," Greene said.
The defendant, a man in his 60s from Stockport in Greater Manchester, is not being named under the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 1992, which grants lifelong anonymity to victims of sexual offenses and bars publication of information likely to identify them.
The husband initially denied all 48 charges against him but pleaded guilty in June to 15 offenses involving his wife. Those include five counts of rape, six counts of assault by penetration, three counts of sexual assault, and sharing intimate images or film without her consent. He denies 33 remaining charges, among them conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, administering a substance with intent, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.
Prosecutors say the drugging occurred between 2004 and 2025, while the involvement of the other men is alleged to have taken place between 2018 and 2025.
The case draws comparisons to the mass rape trial in France involving Gisèle Pelicot, whose husband Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging her and arranging for dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious. A French court convicted all 51 defendants in December 2024 and sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison.
The co-defendants
The 12 men standing trial alongside the husband range in age from 28 to 73 and come from locations across the United Kingdom. They face charges including rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, and multiple conspiracy offenses.
Jonathan Kirk, 43, a paramedic from Stockport, faces charges including rape and conspiracy to rape. Karl Lindsay, 55, a former chief executive of Taunton Town Football Club, faces conspiracy charges including conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.
Former youth soccer coach Alan Keelan, 42, and Robert Stewart, 70, both face rape and conspiracy to rape charges. Jordan Wallace, 31, is charged with rape, attempted rape, and conspiracy to rape.
Mohammed Sabir, 28, of Cheadle, faces charges of rape, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to assault by penetration. Philip Wild, 58, also of Cheadle, faces conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, attempted rape, and assault by penetration.
Richard Townsend, 37, of Heywood, and Sean Peers, 38, of Stockport, each face charges of assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration. Daniel Rayner, 42, of Whitstable, Kent, and David Graves, 59, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, are each charged with conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Graham Brougham, 73, of Northwich, Cheshire, faces rape, conspiracy to rape, and conspiracy to assault by penetration charges.
A 13th co-defendant, Keith Fotheringham, 59, of Dundee, Scotland, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance with intent, and assault by penetration. He remains in custody and is awaiting sentencing.
The trial is expected to resume Thursday, when the court is due to begin hearing the prosecution's opening case. The proceedings are anticipated to last approximately three months.
Source: Courthouse News Service