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A FORMER TORY councillor has admitted drugging and raping his now ex-wife over a 13-year period.
Philip Young, 49, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in front of his former spouse Joanne Young at Winchester Crown Court on Friday.
He took 27 minutes to enter his guilty pleas to offences including rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and voyeurism.
Young, formerly of Swindon, but now of Amberley Road, Enfield, also admitted multiple counts of administering a substance to his then-wife with intent to stupefy her – with all offences taking place between 2010 and 2023.
He admitted 48 of the 56 charges against him, pleading guilty to 14 counts of voyeurism, 11 of rape, 11 of administering a substance with intent, seven of assault by penetration, four of sexual assault and one of publishing obscene articles.
Young also published more than 500 intimate images and videos of his ex-wife and recorded her doing private acts for his own sexual gratification without her consent between 2010 and 2024.
Joanne, 48, who previously waived her right to anonymity in connection with the case, sat in the court to listen to the guilty pleas, supported by her sister and a member of witness support.
According to his LinkedIn page, Young took a course in Business Studies at the University of Westminster between 1994 and 1998.
In 2009, the defendant and his then-wife Joanne spoke to the Swindon Advertiser about how he delivered their baby son. Young admitted to recording her doing a private act for his own sexual gratification around a year later.
Young, who served as a Conservative Swindon borough councillor for Covingham and Nythe between 2007 and 2010, pleaded not guilty to eight further charges.
He denied three charges of making indecent images of children, alleged to have occurred in July 2024.
Young also pleaded not guilty to possessing a prohibited image and four charges of possessing an extreme pornographic image between January 2019 and January 2024.
Five other men also appeared in court on Friday, charged with sexual offences against Joanne.
Norman Macksoni, of Wood End Close in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, 47, and Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire, both pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Dean Hamilton, 47, of no fixed abode, is yet to enter a plea to the same charge, as well as two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.
Wilkins also pleaded not guilty to one charge of assault by penetration.
Connor Sanderson Doyle, 31, of Crofton Road, Swindon, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.
Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Torun Way in Swindon, pleaded not guilty to sexual touching.
The five men were all granted bail and are due to stand trial on 5 October.
Police appealed for help in identifying another man wanted in connection with the case, describing him as being of large build, with scarring on the back of his head and a distinctive tattoo on the left side of his chest.
Following Young’s guilty pleas, Wiltshire Police Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith, the senior investigating officer in the case, paid tribute to Joanne’s “incredible bravery”.
He said: “Today’s hearing is a significant landmark, which has seen Philip Young admit to dozens of serious sexual offences against Joanne Young.
“I’d like to pay tribute to Jo for her incredible bravery throughout this process. She continues to be supported by specially trained officers.”
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