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5d ago

Stockport Husband Goes on Trial in Manchester Over Alleged Two‑Decade Drugging and Rape

The case will test allegations that other men were invited to the couple’s home to help render the victim unconscious.

From left: Co-defendants Sean Peers, Jonathan Kirk, Jordan Wallace, Alan Keelan and Graham Brougham are seen outside Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, England, earlier this year. They deny the charges against them.
Prince Harry speaks to ambulance crew members, including Jonathan Kirk (right), at Salford Ambulance Headquarters after the August riots in Salford, England, in 2011. A portion of this image has been blurred by CNN to protect another person's identity.
The husband has been indicted on 48 charges. Initially, the man in his 60s denied all charges. A statement from Greater Manchester Police in June stated that he pleaded guilty to 15 of these charges.
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Overview

  • The trial began this week, with court hearings opening on Tuesday as a man in his 60s from Stockport faces the first of 48 charges linked to alleged abuse stretching from 2004 to 2025.
  • Since his 2025 arrest the husband has pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including five counts of rape and six counts of assault by penetration, and he continues to deny the remaining 33 charges.
  • Twelve co‑defendants, aged about 28 to 73 and drawn from across the UK, are on trial and deny accusations that they sexually abused the woman or helped to administer substances to make her unconscious.
  • A separate 13th defendant, Keith Fotheringham, has already pleaded guilty to offences including conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance and remains in custody pending sentence.
  • The Minshull Street Crown Court trial is scheduled to run about 12 weeks, the victim’s identity is legally protected, and the case has renewed public focus on how the justice system handles allegations of organised group sexual violence.