Third man admits assaulting UK woman drugged and raped by husband

The plea leaves 11 men facing trial over sexual crimes against the same woman, while her husband has admitted to 62 offenses spanning more than two decades.MANCHESTER, England (CN) — A third man accused of sexually abusing a woman who was drugged and raped by her husband has pleaded guilty, leaving 11 other men to face trial in a case that has drawn comparisons with the Gisèle Pelicot case in France.Sean Peers, 38, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty Wednesday at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to one count of assault by penetration involving the woman in September 2024.Peers had been due to stand trial alongside the other men but was granted conditional bail until sentencing, which will be after the trial of the remaining defendants.The woman’s husband, who cannot be named because doing so could identify his wife, also appeared in court Wednesday by video link from prison and pleaded guilty to one further count of rape and one sexual assault, which took place last summer.The husband had pleaded guilty last month to 60 offenses against his wife, bringing his total to 62.His offenses date back to 2004 and include rape, assault by penetration and administering a substance with intent to commit a sexual offense.He is accused of inviting 13 other men to abuse her at the family home in Stockport.Another man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, of Dundee, Scotland, pleaded guilty to four sexual offenses against the woman, including conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance.The remaining 11 defendants face charges including rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault and conspiracy offenses involving the same woman between September 2018 and November 2025.All 11 men deny the charges.They are Philip Wild, 58, Jordan Wallace, 31, Alan Keelan, 42, Jonathan Kirk, 43, Robert Stewart, 70, Mohammed Sabir, 28, Graham Brougham, 74, Richard Townsend, 37, Karl Lindsay, 56, Daniel Rayner, 42, and David Graves, 59.A jury was sworn in early last month, but the trial has been delayed by legal and practical issues.On Tuesday, Judge Maurice Greene told the jurors the husband had provided a detailed witness statement. “That statement is a long statement and that has been disclosed to all defense counsel and it contains a lot of detail,” Greene said.The husband is no longer part of the trial because he has pleaded guilty, but he remains in custody and will be sentenced after the proceedings against the other men conclude.The Manchester prosecution has parallels with the case of Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman whose husband drugged her and recruited dozens of men to rape her.Pelicot waived her anonymity and insisted the proceedings in Avignon, in the south of France, be held in public, stating “shame has to change sides.”The case became a global focal point for discussions about sexual violence and consent.Fifty-one men, including her former husband, were ultimately convicted in December 2024.In England and Wales, victims of sexual offenses generally receive automatic lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offenses (Amendment) Act 1992. The law bars publication of information likely to identify a victim.That restriction is why the woman cannot be named and why her husband cannot be identified, since naming him could reveal her identity.The 11 remaining defendants, however, can be named and have publicly denied the charges against them.The defendants come from varied backgrounds, echoing the broad social backgrounds of the men convicted in France.Kirk, a paramedic from Stockport, faces charges including rape and conspiracy to rape. Lindsay, a former chief executive of a soccer club, faces conspiracy charges including conspiracy to administer a substance with intent. Keelan, a former youth soccer coach, faces rape charges.The prosecution is due to open its case Oct. 19, with the trial expecting to last about nine weeks.Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads