Men who allegedly helped rapist drug and abuse wife named
BBCThe co-accused of a rapist who allegedly conspired with other men to drug and sexually abuse his wife can be named for the first time after reporting restrictions were lifted.
The husband, who still cannot be named to maintain his wife's anonymity, initially denied any wrongdoing but has since pleaded guilty to a number of the charges he faces - including rape - although he is set to stand trial on others.
The case involves 13 other men who are alleged to have sexually abused the victim or helped supply substances to render her unconscious, including at her Stockport home.
The husband and 12 of the 13 other men are set to stand trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court in September.
PA MediaOne of the men, Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, Scotland, has pleaded guilty to all charges he faced.
The 59-year-old admitted offences including conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.
The other defendants are aged between 28 and 73, and include Jonathan Kirk, a paramedic who in 2013 was pictured shaking hands with Prince Harry, and Karl Lindsay, the former chief executive of Taunton Town Football Club.
Lindsay stepped down as chief executive in November 2025.
In a statement released today, the club said it has no ongoing association with Lindsay, and said it expects the highest levels of conduct from all those associated with it.
The husband, in his 60s and from Stockport, will face a jury on other charges which he denies including administering a substance with intent to engage in sexual activity between 2004 and 2025, and conspiring with others to drug and rape his wife between 2018 and 2025.
He has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring with others to drug and rape his wife between 2018 and 2025.
The other defendants are:
- Philip Wild, 58, from Stockport
- Sean Peers, 37, from Stockport
- Jordan Wallace, 31, from Manchester
- Alan Keelan, 42, from Manchester
- Jonathan Kirk, 43, from Stockport
- Robert Stewart, 70, from Stockport
- Mohammed Sabir, 28, of no fixed abode
- Graham Brougham, 73, from Northwich, Cheshire
- Richard Townsend, 37, from Rochdale
The following men are not accused of contact offences against the victim, but are alleged to have conspired to abuse her in other ways:
- Karl Lindsay, 55, Taunton, Somerset
- Daniel Rayner, 42, from, Whitstable, Kent
- David Graves, 59, from, Ilkeston, Derbyshire
On Monday the husband, who cannot be identified, changed some of his pleas after he previously denied all 48 counts he faced on the indictment involving his wife.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of rape, six counts of assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault on various dates between 2022 and 2025.
PA MediaThe husband also admitted sharing intimate photographs or film of his wife, without her consent, for sexual gratification.
He denies 11 counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, seven counts of assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault, four counts of conspiracy to rape, three counts of conspiracy to assault by penetration, one count of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent and one count of administering a substance with intent.
A further preliminary hearing will be held on 24 August, a week ahead of the scheduled 12-week trial.
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