Man accused of drugging wife to rape her with others admits sex offences

A man accused of drugging his wife to rape her along with other men has admitted a string of sexual offences.

The man, who is in his 60s and from the Stockport area - but cannot be named because it would identify the alleged victim - had previously denied 48 charges.

He appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to 12 of the offences, including two counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, six counts of assault by penetration and a charge of sharing intimate images.

The offences took place over a three-year period between March 2022 and October last year.

Thirteen other men aged between 28 and 73, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, have also been charged with alleged offences relating to the same woman.

Her husband allegedly drugged her in order to rape and sexually assault her on his own over more than two decades since 2004.

Between 2018 and his arrest last year, he allegedly invited other men to sexually assault and rape his wife while she was unconscious.

All of the other men are charged with conspiracy offences, and 10 of them are alleged to have also committed so-called contact sexual offences with the husband.

A man in his 50s previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance and assault by penetration.

All of the other men deny the charges against them and face trial at the same court on 1 September.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man accused of drugging wife to rape her with others admits sex offences