Connor Sanderson-Doyle Tells Court He Believed He Had Consent of Woman Drugged and Raped by Husband Philip Young in Swindon Abuse Case

Connor Sanderson-Doyle, one of four men accused of sexually abusing Joanne Young, told a court he believed she had consented when he answered an advert to have sex with her. Philip Young, a former Conservative councillor, has pleaded guilty to drugging and raping his wife over a 13-year period at their home in Swindon, Wiltshire. The case has drawn attention to the horrific abuse suffered by Joanne Young and the legal questions surrounding consent when a victim is incapacitated by drugs. Sanderson-Doyle’s defense hinges on his claim that he was unaware of the circumstances, but prosecutors argue the men took advantage of a vulnerable woman who was unable to give meaningful consent. The trial continues as the court hears evidence about how the men were recruited and what they knew about Joanne Young’s condition. The outcome could set an important precedent for how consent is interpreted in cases involving drugging and coercion by a third party.