By Our Reporter
WINCHESTER (CONVERSEER) – A former Tory Councillor, Philip Young, has admitted to drugging and raping his ex-wife in a harrowing campaign of abuse that stretched over 13 years.
The father of three pleaded guilty to 48 sex offences at a hearing at Winchester Crown Court today, 22 January 2026.
The 49‑year‑old admitted to repeatedly raping his former wife Joanne Young, 48, over 13 years.
Young pleaded guilty to drugging his unsuspecting wife before carrying out the string of assaults, sometimes acting alone and in several cases alongside other men.
Ms Young, who can be named after she bravely waived her right to anonymity, was present to witness the pleas entered in Court Two this afternoon, supported by her sister and a member of Witness Support.
Young, who was dressed in a prison-issued grey tracksuit, lowered his eyes as his former wife of more than 20 years entered the court.
The disgraced business consultant admitted to 11 counts of rape, seven charges of sexual assault and four counts of sexual touching, all involving his ex-wife.
Young also admitted to raping his wife with an unidentified man, whom the police are still trying to trace, between April and May 2022.
Young also admitted to multiple counts of voyeurism including secretly recording his unsuspecting wife during “private acts” more than 200 times for his sexual gratification between January 2010 and July 2024.
He also pleaded guilty to publishing “obscene” material – including non-consensual intimate photographs and videos of Ms Young – more than 500 times.
However, Young denied multiple counts of possession of indecent images of children – including 139 of the most serious category A, and 82 “extreme” images.
Young was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.
He had served as a respected Conservative councillor in the leafy Wiltshire town for several years, rising to be a cabinet member.
But in 2010 – the year when the abuse is believed to have begun – Young announced he was stepping down to spend more time with his family
He appeared alongside five other men accused of carrying out a slew of sexual offences against Ms Young which took place between 2010 and 2023.
The group appeared again at Winchester Crown Court before Judge Angela Morris today.
Norman Macksoni, 47, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, entered a not guilty plea to one count of rape and one count of possession of extreme images.
Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, from Swindon also denied sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.
While Richard Wilkins, 61, from Swindon, denied rape and sexual touching, Mohammed Hassan, 37, also from Swindon, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual touching.
Dean Hamilton, 47, of Butleigh, Somerset, who faces one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching, is yet to enter a plea.
The six men stood in line in the dock for the 27 minutes it took for the charges to be read by the clerk.
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During a previous hearing at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, Macksoni, Hamilton, Wilkins, Doyle and Hassan were released on conditional bail while Young was remanded into custody.
Speaking after the court hearing James Foster, Specialist Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Philip Young has pleaded guilty to 48 serious sexual offences committed against his former wife, Joanne Young.
“We worked closely with Wiltshire Police to build a thorough and compelling case that resulted in him pleading guilty to dozens of offences today.” Young was formerly a council cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development, but in 2010, he said he was stepping down to spend more time with his family.
Six months earlier, he described how he helped deliver the couple’s third child at home minutes before paramedics could arrive. The couple have since split up.
Young has been involved in multiple consultancy businesses, including as a director, and describes himself online as an “experienced business leader”.
He is listed as the chief operating officer for a Salesforce consultancy firm based in London. He joined the business in June 2023 with “17 years” of experience in the ecosystem, running his own partner consultancy, according to his biography on the company website.
He previously worked on projects for household names including Aston Martin, Unilever, and BP.
