Extreme porn led police to husband, court told

A police investigation into a man who sexually abused his wife was sparked after he put extreme pornographic images online, a court has heard.

Philip Young, a former Tory councillor for Swindon, has admitted to drugging and raping his now ex-wife Joanne over a 13-year period.

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

Prosecuting, Sarah Jones KC told Winchester Crown Court that "intimate" images of Joanne taken without her consent were found on Young's phone after he handed it over to Wiltshire Police.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

The jury was told officers went to speak to Young on 4 July 2023 about three extreme image of bestiality they had been alerted to.

Police then found videos on his devices of Joanne restrained and blindfolded while other men engaged in sexual activity with her, the court was told.

Joanne - who has waived her legal right to anonymity - told police this was being done without her consent or knowledge, the jury heard.

Norman Macksoni, 48, Richard Wilkins, 62, Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, and Mohammed Hassan, 38, are on trial accused of sexual offences against Joanne - which they deny.

Later in the day, the court was cleared so only the jury, defendants, barristers and Joanne could watch videos of alleged sexual abuse by three of the defendants.

In a police interview played in court on Wednesday, Joanne said months before Young's devices were seized by police, she had woken up and realised her then-husband had allowed someone else in the bedroom while she was blindfolded and having sex.

Jones told the jury Joanne had believed her husband was performing a sexual act on her, when in reality he was "stage managing another unknown person" who was "taking his place without her knowledge".

The four men jointly charged with Young, 50, are accused of the following offences:

• Connor Sanderson-Doyle, of Swindon, denies sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching
• Norman Macksoni, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, denies one count of rape
• Richard Wilkins, of Toothill, Swindon, Wiltshire, denies one count of rape and one of assault by penetration
• Mohammed Hassan, of Swindon, denies one count of sexual touching

Young, a former Conservative Swindon councillor, previously admitted to 48 offences against his ex-wife, including voyeurism, rape, administering a substance with intent, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He has also pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images of children, and four of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

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.

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