A former Conservative councillor has confessed to a horrific campaign of sexual abuse against his ex-wife, admitting to 48 separate sex offences in a case that has shocked the community. Philip Young, a 49-year-old father of three, entered his guilty pleas during a hearing at Winchester Crown Court, bringing to light more than a decade of systematic violence.
Decade-Long Campaign of Abuse
The court heard how Young repeatedly raped his former wife, Joanne Young, 48, over a 13-year period. In a particularly disturbing detail, he admitted to drugging his unsuspecting wife before carrying out assaults, sometimes acting alone and in other instances alongside other men. Ms Young, who courageously waived her right to anonymity, was present in Court Two to witness the pleas being entered.
Comprehensive List of Offences
Young pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape, multiple charges of sexual assault, and four counts of sexual touching, all involving his ex-wife. The offences also included raping his wife with an unidentified man between April and May 2022, with police still attempting to trace this individual.
Beyond the physical assaults, Young admitted to multiple counts of voyeurism, secretly recording his wife during private acts more than 200 times between January 2010 and July 2024 for his sexual gratification. He also pleaded guilty to publishing obscene material, including non-consensual intimate photographs and videos of Ms Young, on more than 500 occasions.
Other Charges Denied
However, Young denied multiple counts of possessing indecent images of children, including 139 of the most serious Category A images and 82 extreme images. These charges remain contested and will be addressed in future proceedings.
Political Background and Personal Life
Young served as a respected Conservative councillor in Swindon for several years, rising to become a cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development. In 2010, the same year the abuse is believed to have begun, he announced he was stepping down to spend more time with his family.
Originally from the upmarket Ash Brake area of Swindon but now living in Enfield, north London, Young has been involved in multiple consultancy businesses. He describes himself online as an experienced business leader and currently serves as chief operating officer for a Salesforce consultancy firm based in London.
Professional Career
According to his company biography, Young joined the business in June 2023 with 17 years of experience in the ecosystem running his own partner consultancy. He previously worked on projects for household names including Aston Martin, Unilever, and BP, having graduated with a business studies degree from the University of Westminster in 1998.
Co-Defendants and Court Proceedings
Young appeared alongside five other men accused of carrying out sexual offences against Ms Young between 2010 and 2023. The group appeared again at Winchester Crown Court before Judge Angela Morris.
Other defendants include:
- Norman Macksoni, 47, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, who entered a not guilty plea to one count of rape and one count of possession of extreme images
- Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, from Swindon, who denied sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching
- Richard Wilkins, 61, from Swindon, who denied rape and sexual touching
- Mohammed Hassan, 37, also from Swindon, who pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual touching
- Dean Hamilton, 47, of Butleigh, Somerset, who faces one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual touching, and is yet to enter a plea
During a previous hearing at Swindon Magistrates' Court, Macksoni, Hamilton, Wilkins, Doyle and Hassan were released on conditional bail while Young was remanded into custody.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Young has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date. The case has revealed disturbing details about the abuse that occurred within what appeared to be a respectable family and professional life.
Six months before announcing his resignation from the council in 2010, Young had described how he helped deliver the couple's third child at home minutes before paramedics could arrive. The couple have since split up, with the full extent of the abuse only now coming to light through the court proceedings.
