Stockport Husband Admits 20-Year Campaign of Drugging and Raping Wife, Submits Witness Statement as 12 Co-Defendants Await Trial

A man from the Stockport area of Greater Manchester has provided a lengthy witness statement to investigators after admitting to drugging and raping his wife without her knowledge over a period spanning more than two decades, a jury has been told.

The husband, who is in his 60s and cannot be identified for legal reasons connected to his wife's entitlement to lifelong anonymity, had initially denied the allegations against him. However, last month he changed his plea and admitted to 60 separate offences, including rape and administering a substance with intent.

The case took a further procedural turn this week when Judge Maurice Greene informed the jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that the husband had now made a formal statement about his version of events. The judge described the document as "long" and confirmed that it had been disclosed to all defence counsel involved in the proceedings, noting that it contains a substantial amount of detail.

Jurors were told that the statement comprises "lots of pages and lots of documents," and that legal teams are currently "going through it carefully." Judge Greene indicated that this review process remains ongoing, a factor that has contributed to the delays already affecting the timetable of the case.

The jury, composed of nine women and three men, along with two female reserve jurors, was initially sworn in at the court in early September. Since that time, the trial has been postponed for what the court described as legal and practical reasons. The panel was invited back into court to receive the latest update on the status of the proceedings.

The husband had also faced accusations of inviting 13 other men to abuse his wife, with the alleged offending said to have occurred between 2018 and November 2025. He will no longer stand trial as a defendant in relation to those matters, having already entered his guilty pleas to the 60 offences he has admitted.

One co-defendant has also admitted guilt. Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee in Scotland, has pleaded guilty to several offences connected to the case. His admissions mean he too has been removed from the list of those still contesting the allegations.

The remaining 12 defendants are still due to face trial, and the prosecution's case against them is scheduled to open on Monday 19 October. The jury has been asked to return on that date to begin hearing the evidence.

The twelve men who continue to deny the allegations are: Philip Wild, 58, from Stockport; Sean Peers, 38, 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, 74, from Northwich in Cheshire; Richard Townsend, 37, from Rochdale; Karl Lindsay, 55, from Taunton in Somerset; Daniel Rayner, 42, from Whitstable in Kent; and David Graves, 59, from Ilkeston in Derbyshire.

The court has previously heard that the husband's offending came to light only when his wife learned of what had been happening without her knowledge. The prolonged nature of the abuse, stretching over more than 20 years, has been described in court as a sustained campaign involving the covert administration of substances to facilitate sexual assaults.

Legal commentators note that cases of this kind, often described as involving "predatory" or covert drugging, present unique challenges for the criminal justice system. The secretive nature of the offending means victims are frequently unaware that crimes have been committed against them, sometimes for years or even decades. Evidence often emerges only through investigations into other matters, or when the victim is alerted by third parties or law enforcement.

The involvement of multiple co-defendants has added significant complexity to the proceedings. Cases with numerous defendants require careful management of disclosure obligations, particularly when one participant has provided a detailed witness statement that may be relevant to the cases against others still facing trial. The court must ensure that all defence teams have adequate time to review the material, which can lead to extended legal arguments and delays.

Support organisations working with survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence have long highlighted the particular difficulties faced by victims whose abusers employed methods designed to conceal their crimes. The use of drugs or alcohol to incapacitate a victim not only facilitates the assault but also undermines the victim's ability to recall events and provide evidence afterwards. This can make prosecutions difficult, meaning that admissions of guilt by perpetrators are especially significant in securing justice.

The Crown Prosecution Service has previously stated that it treats allegations of drug-facilitated sexual assault with the utmost seriousness and will pursue prosecutions where there is sufficient evidence. However, the inherent evidential challenges mean that such cases often progress slowly and require sensitive handling of vulnerable complainants.

For the wife at the centre of this case, the prolonged legal process represents a considerable additional burden. Her right to anonymity is protected by law, meaning that neither the media nor the public may identify her in connection with the offences. This protection is intended to encourage victims of sexual offences to report what has happened and to participate in the criminal justice process without fear of public exposure.

The court has not yet set a timetable for when the husband will be sentenced, as his statement and admissions may have implications for the ongoing trial of the other defendants. Judges in multi-defendant cases frequently defer sentencing until related proceedings have concluded, to avoid any risk of prejudicing the fairness of the trials still to take place.

The jury has been reminded of the importance of not discussing the case outside the courtroom and of relying solely on the evidence presented during the trial. They have been told to return to court on Monday 19 October, when the prosecution is expected to begin outlining its case against the twelve remaining defendants.

As the proceedings continue, the case serves as a reminder of the often-hidden nature of domestic abuse and sexual violence within intimate relationships. It also underscores the critical role that disclosure, investigation and, in some instances, admissions by perpetrators play in bringing such offences to light and securing accountability for victims who may otherwise never have known they were targeted.