Men on trial claim they believed consent existed in alleged assault of drugged woman

Four men are on trial at Winchester Crown Court for alleged sexual assault of Joanne Young, whose former husband, Philip Young, has pleaded guilty to drugging and abusing her over several years. The defendants say they responded to an online advertisement and a swingers’ website that portrayed the couple as seeking consensual kink.

Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, told police he contacted Philip Young via an adult-section Craigslist ad that described a woman tied and blindfolded. He said he believed the couple were “trying to live out whatever their kink is” and that he assumed the scene was consensual. Sanderson-Doyle recalled hearing the victim say “No” but interpreted it as a request for something different, later stating, "> I thought I had her consent. I didn’t know she was drugged," and describing the encounter as a “non event.”

Norman Macksoni, 48, who used the username “dark stranger” on the swingers’ site, said the platform was “about couples living out fantasies” and that a “cuckold community” existed there. He maintained that Joanne Young was “totally coherent” and that the meeting was “just a sex meet.” He added that he did not use a condom because “she didn’t like them.”

Other defendants include Richard Wilkins, 62, and Mohammed Hassan, 38, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual touching. The trial continues as prosecutors present evidence that Philip Young advertised his wife online and “loaned” her to other men.

The case highlights legal scrutiny of consent in contexts involving online sexual advertisements and alleged drug-induced incapacitation.