A Stockport husband who drugged and raped his wife for more than 20 years found men online with a sexual interest in unconscious women, a trial has heard.
The man, in his 60s, has admitted multiple offences, including rape and administering substances with intent to stupefy her so others could engage in sexual activity with her. He will give evidence as a witness in the trial of nine men accused of sexual offences against his wife. The Manchester Evening News and other media organisations are not naming the man to protect his victim's anonymity.
Prosecution describes 'barbaric fantasies'
Prosecutors at Minshull Street Crown Court say the defendants and the husband 'led double lives' so they could indulge in their 'barbaric fantasies'. The husband initially took advantage of his asleep or unconscious wife through alcohol, the court heard. He later researched online articles on date rape drugs, sleeping tablets, and the interaction of medication and alcohol, jurors were told.
He went on to give her 'cocktails of drugs' without her knowledge as he filmed and photographed his abuse, the court heard. The man shared images online, the jury was told. When the husband tried to arrange to get drugs from one of the defendants, David Graves, he told him not to post them to the marital home but to the house of his recently deceased mother-in-law, which was empty, prosecutors said.
Husband admits 62 offences
The court earlier heard the man was charged with 62 offences involving allegations of rape; assault by penetration; sexual assault; administering substances with intent to stupefy or overpower his wife so as to enable a person or persons to engage in sexual activity with her; and sharing intimate imagery of her. The jury was told he has 'now admitted his responsibility' and was now a witness in the trial of the nine men.
On day two of the trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Louise Oakley KC continued opening the case to the jury. She said that from 2023 onwards at the latest, the husband began inviting other men round to their home, where it is alleged they sexually abused her while she lay in their bed unconscious.
Profile on fabswingers.com
In that year, the husband set up a profile, using a pseudonym, on fabswingers.com, an online messaging site for people who like to 'swing', the court heard. "His perversion, his barbaric fantasy, was sharing his wife," Ms Oakley KC said. "He did not hide the fact that his wife was and would be unaware of the third parties he communicated with. His profile specifically referred to her being 'out of it'."
"At no point did he suggest, the Crown say, to any of these defendants that as a couple they engaged in sleepy role play or fantasy. She was quite clearly wasted, unconscious, out of it - however you want to describe it." The KC said the husband found a number of such men, including the defendants in the dock. Seven of the defendants were described as 'contact offenders', who jurors heard visited the couple's home expecting her to be 'wasted' and 'out of it'. The prosecutor added: "Any human being with two eyes, two ears and half a brain would have realised she was not conscious when they walked into that bedroom. They knew. They wanted it. Anyone who didn't would have run a country mile walking into a bedroom with a stranger and finding a woman naked, snoring and not communicating."
Defendants named in court
It is alleged the 'contact offenders' are taxi driver Philip Wild, 59; recruitment agency worker Mohammed Sabir, 28; building supplies employee Jordan Wallace, 31; industrial cleaning firm worker Alan Keelan, 42; retiree Robert Stewart, 70; sheet metal worker Richard Townsend, 38; and senior paramedic Jonathan Kirk, 43. The Crown alleges 'non-contact' offenders, who 'hid behind a screen' as they conspired to administer substances to the wife, are kitchen firm sales rep David Graves, 60; and self-employed mechanic Daniel Rayner, 42.
Jurors earlier heard the husband took his 'first big step' to achieve his fantasy of other men sexually abusing his wife after Mr Stewart provided a painkiller and anti-depressants, on the agreement he would be contacted to go to their home if she was unconscious. On one occasion, Mr Stewart did go to the house, the court heard, but the man's wife stirred and he left. The alleged arrangement became the husband's 'blueprint' for future offending.
Ms Oakley said: "His perversity did not wane. He wanted to share her but recognised that alcohol alone was not going to be enough. So desperate was he, he would share imagery of his wife with complete strangers and then discuss how they would supply him with drugs in order that she be raped, and sharing their home address."
Police discovered what had been happening when undercover journalists infiltrated a chat group on a messaging app, in which people appeared to have a specific interest in sex with someone asleep or unconscious, the court was told. Jurors heard that to join the group the husband had to provide evidence he was a real person and could offer something in the form of imagery of sex offences on his partner or another female. Detectives arrested the husband and seized a mobile phone from his address which contained more than one million photographs and videos cataloguing the abuse by him and others, the court has heard.
David Graves, 59, of Milton Avenue, Derbyshire, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration; and one count of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Robert Stewart, 70, of Sandpiper Drive, Stockport, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; and two counts of rape. Philip Wild, 58, of St Davids Road, Cheadle, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration; one count of sexual assault; one count of attempted rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Daniel Rayner, 42, of Sherwood Drive, Whitstable, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration; and one count of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Mohammed Sabir, 28, of no fixed address, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration and three counts of rape. Jordan Wallace, 31, of Hindsford Close, Wythenshawe, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of rape; and one count of attempted rape. Alan Keelan, 42, of Foscarn Drive, Wythenshawe, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; two counts of attempted rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Richard Townsend, 37, of Woodland Street, Heywood, denies one count of conspiracy to assault by penetration; and one count of assault by penetration. Jonathan Kirk, 43, of Telford Close, Macclesfield, denies one count of conspiracy to rape; one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration; and one count of rape.
Four other men pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to various offences linked to the case, the jury has been told. They are Keith Fotheringham, 59, of Cleghorn Street, Dundee; Karl Lindsay, 56, of Wordsworth Drive, Taunton; Sean Peers, 38, formerly of Sandwich Road in Eccles, now of Stockport; and Graham Brougham, 74, of Birtwistle Road, Northwich, Cheshire. The trial continues.
