Blindfolded wife 'felt stranger's hand' during sex with husband, court told

Wife 'felt stranger's hand' during sex, court told

ByLeigh Boobyer

West of England

A woman said she ran into and locked herself in a bathroom after realising her then-husband had allowed someone else in the bedroom while she was blindfolded and having sex, a jury has heard.

In a police interview played at Winchester Crown Court, Joanne Young said she was restrained when she felt a hand on her wrist which she believed did not belong to her now ex-husband Philip Young.

Joanne - who has waived her right to anonymity - said Young, who has admitted drugging and raping her, later apologised and told her he had invited someone to watch the couple have sex after browsing online forums.

Four men who Young is alleged to have recruited to abuse his wife at their home are now on trial.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

On the second day of the four men's trial, two police interviews with Joanne were played to the court.

Joanne said the incident had happened after a night out with drinking friends in February 2023.

"I can't remember all of it," she told police.

Joanne said at "some point after after he [Young] had come upstairs" she "had the blindfold on and the restraints".

When she felt the hand, she said she took off the blindfold she was wearing and her husband said "get down" to someone.

Joanne said she then saw someone ducking at the end of the bed and she ran to the bathroom and locked the door.

Joanne said her vision had been blurry as she did not have glasses on or contact lenses in, but she had seen a car outside which she did not recognise after leaving the bathroom.

The jury heard the couple had discussed the incident later, with Joanne telling police it was the first time she had ever seen her then-husband cry.

She described how she had asked Young if he had ever invited anyone else to watch them have sex before, which he denied.

"It was so intrusive. I was so upset. He knows I would have never said yes to that," she told police.

Four men are jointly charged with Young, 50, with the following offences:

• Connor Sanderson-Doyle, of Swindon, denies sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching during an incident in 2016.

• Norman Macksoni, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, has denied one count of rape in 2017.

• Richard Wilkins, of Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire, has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one of assault by penetration in 2016.

• Mohammed Hassan, of Swindon, has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual touching in 2023.

Young, a former Conservative Swindon councillor, has admitted 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 an obscene article.

He 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.

A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton, 47, of Street, Somerset, has admitted one charge of assault by penetration, two of sexual assault and one of rape.

Young and Hamilton will be sentenced at the end of the trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line for information and support

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