Thirteen men have been formally charged alongside a husband accused of drugging and sexually assaulting his wife over a period spanning more than two decades. The reporting restrictions naming the defendants were lifted ahead of their upcoming trial scheduled for September at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
The husband, in his sixties and from the Stockport area of Greater Manchester, faces multiple allegations including drugging and raping his wife while she was unconscious. To protect the identity of the alleged victim, his name has not been disclosed. He has pleaded guilty to five counts of rape and several other sexual offenses, including sharing intimate images or videos of his wife without consent. However, he denies 33 additional charges, notably 11 further counts of rape. These offenses are said to have occurred between 2004 and 2025.
Among the co-defendants, Keith Fotheringham, 59, of Dundee, Scotland, entered guilty pleas earlier this year to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower. Fotheringham is awaiting sentencing at a later date.
The remaining defendants, all scheduled for trial beginning September 1, deny various charges related to conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, and administering substances to facilitate assaults. These individuals include David Graves, 59, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire; Daniel Rayner, 42, from Whitstable, Kent; Karl Lindsay, 55, from Taunton, Somerset; Graham Brougham, 73, from Northwich, Cheshire; Philip Wild, 58, from Stockport; Mohammed Sabir, 28, from Stockport; Jonathan Kirk, 43, from Stockport; Sean Peers, 37, from Stockport; Jordan Wallace, 31, from Wythenshawe, Manchester; Alan Keelan, 42, of Wythenshawe; Robert Stewart, 70, from Stockport; and Richard Townsend, 37, from Heywood, Greater Manchester.
Charges against the group encompass a range of serious offenses, including rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and conspiracy to administer substances with intent. Plea statuses vary, but the majority have entered not guilty pleas.
The case continues to unfold as the legal proceedings approach, with the court set to hear the complex allegations that span two decades and multiple jurisdictions across the United Kingdom.