Defendant claims he believed woman consented after answering sexual advert
At Winchester Crown Court, Connor Sanderson-Doyle said he thought a woman who was later found to have been drugged by her husband had consented to a sexual encounter arranged through an advert.
Four men are on trial at Winchester Crown Court for alleged sexual abuse of Joanne Young, who has waived her right to anonymity after her husband, former Swindon councillor Philip Young, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of drugging and abusing her over a 13-year period.
Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, of Swindon, denied the charges of sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching relating to an incident in June 2016. He told the court that he had no indication the woman was drugged or unwilling, stating, "At no point did I have any indication that she was drugged, intoxicated, was doing anything against her will. If I had done, I wouldn’t have done those acts."
When questioned about his motive for responding to the advert, he said he believed it had been placed by a couple and that the woman was consenting, explaining, "I read: ‘We as a couple, this is what we want to try and we are looking for other men to fulfil our fantasy.’ I was taking it at face value." He described the experience as uncomfortable and outside his prior sexual experience.
Sanderson-Doyle also said he kept his balaclava on when he realized the woman was filming with a camcorder, adding, "I didn’t really want to be in a porn film, I do not think any 22-year-old guys or girls do." He claimed the charges have damaged his career, including the loss of a security clearance for work on nuclear defence projects for the Ministry of Defence.
The other defendants – Norman Macksoni, Mohammed Hassan and Richard Wilkins – have each denied the specific charges against them. A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton, has admitted several offences. The trial is ongoing.