Man denies drugging and raping his wife along with others

A man has appeared in court to deny drugging his wife to rape and sexually assault her along with other men.    The defendant, who is in his 60s, but cannot be named for legal reasons, entered not guilty pleas to 48 offences.

He is accused of drugging his wife in order to rape and sexually assault her on his own over more than two decades, dating back to the early 2000s. Between 2023 and his arrest last year, he allegedly invited other men to sexually assault and rape his wife while she was unconscious.

He appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court along with 12 other men, aged between 28 and 73, who also cannot be identified. All are charged with conspiracy offences, and all but two are alleged to have also committed so-called contact sexual offences.

A man in his 50s pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance and assault by penetration. Five of the men are yet to enter pleas, while a total of seven, including the husband, denied the charges.

He is charged with 23 counts relating to offences committed on his own - including some multiple incident counts - eight conspiracy offences and 17 attacks allegedly committed with other men. The charges include: • Four counts of conspiracy to rape.

• Three counts of conspiracy to commit sexual assault by penetration. • One count of conspiracy administer a substance with intent to overpower to allow sexual activity.

• 18 counts of rape. • 13 counts of sexual assault by penetration.

• Seven counts of sexual assault. • One count of administering a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower to allow sexual activity.

• One count of sharing photographs or films of person in intimate state for purpose of sexual gratification. Appearing by video-link from Forest Bank prison, the clerk took 23 minutes to read out the 18-page indictment as the man pleaded not guilty to each count.

Family members of the alleged victim and the defendants sat in the public gallery. Five of his co-defendants appeared alongside him, while another five, who are on bail, appeared in the dock, and two others appeared from different prisons.

Another hearing is set for next month, while a 12-week trial has been listed to start on 1 September this year..