Daily Mail
· collected 2026-10-07 · by James Tozer, Richard Marsden, Andy Russell
A man today admitted sexually assaulting a woman who was drugged and raped by her own husband without her knowledge.
asserted
who → admit → knowledge
The man, who is in his 60s and cannot be identified to protect her identity, repeatedly sobbed as he gave guilty pleas to the dozens of charges of rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault and attempted rapes.
He also admitted administering a substance 'with the intention of stupefying or overpowering' her 'so as to enable' his wife to engage in sexual activity between November 2004 and October 2025.
asserted
He → identify → November
As the husband today admitted two further charges at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, one of 12 men who was due to stand trial accused of committing offences against the wife also entered a guilty plea.
asserted
accused → admit → plea
Unemployed Sean Peers, 38, of Stockport, admitted assaulting the woman by penetration on September 15, 2024.
asserted
Peers → admit → September
He was told by Judge Maurice Greene that he would now be subject to a notification requirement under the Sexual Offences Act.
asserted
he → tell → Act
Peers was allowed bail and will be sentenced at a later date.
asserted
Peers → allow → date
Sean Peers, 38, pictured outside court on a previous occasion, today pleaded guilty to assault by penetration against a woman whose husband has admitted drugging and raping her without her knowledge over a 20-year period
Keith Fotheringham, 58, who has pleaded guilty to four offences between 2023 and 2025
Paramedic Jonathan Kirk, 43, pictured meeting Prince Harry in 2011 after riots struck Salford, is among 11 men due to stand trial over their alleged roles in the sexual abuse of the wife
Appearing by video link, the husband today entered guilty pleas to additional counts of raping his wife on August 17, 2025 and sexually assaulting her on June 29, 2025.
asserted
husband → picture → June
It means he has now pleaded guilty to a total of 62 charges.
asserted
he → mean → charges
The offending by the husband was carried out at the family home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, up until the man's arrest in October 2025.
asserted
offending → carry → October
Another 11 men are due to stand trial later this month over their alleged roles.
asserted
men → stand → roles
They are aged between 29 and 74 and include an ambulance paramedic once pictured meeting Prince Harry during a royal visit as well as a former nightclub DJ and an ex-football club chief executive.
asserted
They → age → visit
A thirteenth man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, a technician at the University of Dundee, had previously admitted his role.
asserted
man → admit → role
Fotheringham pleaded guilty in February 2026 to four offences between 2023 and 2025 – conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to commit assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance with intent, and assault by penetration.
asserted
Fotheringham → plead → penetration
Ambulance paramedic Jonathan Kirk, 43, from Stockport, denies charges of rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to commit assault by penetration between 2023 and 2025.
asserted
Kirk → deny → 2023
Robert Stewart, 70, a divorced father of two and grandfather who used to be a DJ
Graham Brougham, 74, is the oldest of 14 defendants charged over the attacks
Brougham pictured outside court.
asserted
who → use → court
He denies three charges of abusing the wife
Married father-of-two Alan Keelan, 42, pictured at a football club awards presentation
Keelan covered his face with his hood as he arrived at court for an earlier hearing in March
The oldest of the accused, pensioner Graham Brougham, 74, is charged with the same offences as Kirk, also over two years.
asserted
oldest → deny → years
He has entered not guilty pleas.
asserted
He → enter → pleas
Meanwhile, former DJ Robert Stewart, 70, of Stockport, a divorced father-of-two and grandfather, denies two rapes and one count of conspiracy to rape between September and November 2025.
asserted
Stewart → deny → September
The youngest defendant, Mohammed Sabir, 29, of Heald Green, Stockport, faces five counts: three rapes, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to commit assault by penetration between 2023 and 2025.
asserted
defendant → face → 2023
He denies them all.
asserted
He → deny → them
Married father-of-two Alan Keelan, 42, from Manchester, works as an accounts clerk and is a coach with Benchill Celtic Junior Football Club, Wythenshawe, one of the city's oldest junior teams.
Keelan denies rape, two counts of attempted rape and one of conspiracy to rape between June and November 2025.
asserted
Keelan → work → June
Dog walker and delivery driver Jordan Wallace, 31, from Stockport, denies rape, attempted rape and conspiracy to rape between May and November 2025.
uncertain
Wallace → deny → May
Father-of-three Philip Wild, 58, of Stockport, a taxi driver, has pleaded not guilty to counts of attempted rape, conspiracy to rape, assault by penetration, conspiracy to commit assault by penetration and sexual assault between 2023 and 2025.
asserted
Father → plead → 2023
Dog walker and delivery driver Jordan Wallace, 31, from Stockport, is accused of rape
Jordan Wallace is pictured outside Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester
Mohammed Sabir, 29, is the youngest defendant in the case and denies five charges
Former Taunton Football Club chief executive Karl Lindsay, 56, of Taunton, Somerset, is not accused of assaulting the victim – but of conspiracy to administer a substance with intent over two years.
asserted
Lindsay → accuse → years
The father-of-five, who has been married for over 34 years, is also accused of conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to sexually assault by penetration in the same period.
asserted
who → accuse → period
He denies the charges.
asserted
He → deny → charges
Richard Townsend, 38, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, denies one count of conspiracy to commit assault by penetration and one count of assault by penetration.
asserted
Townsend → deny → penetration
Daniel Rayner, 42, from Whitstable, Kent, faces the same counts as Lindsay and has also pleaded not guilty.
Father-of-three Philip Wild, 58, Stockport, a taxi driver, is also accused of five counts
Richard Townsend, 38, denies two sexual offences against the same woman as the other men
Karl Lindsay, a 56-year-old father-of-five, enjoys a glass of wine with his wife on holiday
And David Graves, 59, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, denies conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to commit assault by penetration and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.
asserted
Graves → face → assault
All the defendants are in custody apart from Wallace, Kirk, Brougham and Keelan, who have been granted bail.
asserted
who → grant → bail
Fotheringham is on remand in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.
asserted
Fotheringham → sentence → date
A trial scheduled to start later this month is expected to last for at least two months.
asserted
trial → schedule → months
The Aporia
