Ex-councillor Philip Young admits 48 sexual offences against ex-wife over 14 years and trial of five other men set for October.
Philip Young appears at Winchester Crown Court facing charges of prolonged sexual abuse against his ex-wife Joanne Young (Photo: X)
In an astonishing confession, former Conservative councillor Phillip Young, who is now 49 years of age, has admitted to nearly half a dozen serious sex-related crimes against his former wife, Joanne Young. The trial was heard at Winchester Crown Court, where the sequence of abuses, including the administration of narcotics, rape, voyeurism, as well as the transmission of offensive materials, was highlighted. Interestingly enough, the victim has chosen to waive her anonymity as she remained seated through the trial proceedings.
Philip Young received his degree from the University of Westminster in 1998 after his birth in June 1976 in Enfield. Young worked as a councillor in Swindon until 2010. From 2007 until 2010, Young was a Conservative councillor. Young quit his job as a cabinet councillor in 2010 to focus on his family life and other business matters. After that, Young has held several executive roles, the most current being Chief Operating Officer at Pracedo, a consultancy company.
Philip Young’s wife is Joanne Young, who was the complainant in all 48 offences he admitted to at Winchester Crown Court.
Young confessed his guilt on numerous criminal charges including 11 charges of rape, 11 charges of administering substances with the intention of stupefaction, seven charges relating to assault by penetration, four charges relating to sexual assault and 14 charges of voyeurism that involved the recording of his former wife more than 200 times. He also confessed to sending obscene images of Joanne more than 500 times.
In the dock with the charges of sexual offenses involving Joanne Young, five other men were accused. Connor Sanderson-Doyle, Norman Macksoni, Richard Wilkins, Mohammed Hassan, and Dean Hamilton made their appearances, each of them pleading not guilty to the charges pressed against them. The trial of these defendants is scheduled for the 5th of October.
Detective Superintendent Geoff Smith of the Wiltshire police referred to the case as a landmark moment and praised the bravery of the complainant, Joanne Young. At the same time, the detective praised the team that worked hard on the case and thanked the Crown Prosecution Service for supporting the case. The overall investigation is yet to continue.
Joanne Young arrived with her family in tow as the proceedings went on. While Joanne was remanded to custody, the remaining six defendants were granted bail. The case is receiving nation-wide attention due to the severity of the charges, as well as the wide time scale over which they were committed.
The case underlines the commitment of the legal system to the punishment of offenders, whoever they may be, and indicates how survivor advocacy plays a crucial role. Experts say chronic abuse cases call for extensive victim support and strong, thorough investigative processes.
