Man accused of drugging and raping ex-wife remanded into custody

A man accused of drugging and raping his ex-wife over a 13-year period has been remanded into custody, with five other men due to appear in court over alleged sex offences against her.

Philip Young spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday as he stood charged with 56 offences, including multiple counts of rape and administering a substance with intent to stupefy his 48-year-old former spouse Joanne Young.

Five other men are due to appear at the same court on Tuesday afternoon.

Young, 49, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black zip-up jumper, was not required to enter any pleas and he is now due to appear at Swindon Crown Court on January 23.

No details of the allegations were given to the court during Young’s first appearance.

Ms Young has waived her right to legal anonymity.

The alleged offences took place between 2010 and 2023.

Young, a white British national formerly from Swindon but now of Amberley Road, Enfield, told magistrates he did not wish to indicate how he would plead to the charges.

Norman Macksoni and Dean Hamilton, both 47, and Richard Wilkins, 61, have all been charged with one count of rape in connection with the case.

Macksoni, from Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, is also accused of one charge of possession of extreme images; Hamilton, of no fixed abode, is further accused of one count of sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching; and Wilkins, of Toothill, Swindon, is also charged with one count of sexual touching.

Conner Sanderson Doyle, 31, and Mohammed Hassan, 37, both of Swindon, have been charged with sexual touching.

Doyle faces a further of charge of sexual assault by penetration.

All five men are on bail.