Man and 12 Others Face Trial Over Two Decades of Abuse in Manchester
A 60-year-old husband and 12 co-defendants are on trial in Manchester for a series of sexual offences alleged to have occurred over more than 20 years, with the husband pleading guilty to 15 counts and denying 33 others.
A man in his 60s from Stockport will stand trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester alongside 12 other men accused of participating in or facilitating the alleged abuse of his wife over a period stretching back to 2004. Prosecutors say the husband faces 48 charges, including five counts of rape, six of assault by penetration, three of sexual assault and one for sharing intimate images without consent. He has pleaded guilty to 15 of those counts and denies the remaining 33.
One co-defendant, 59-year-old Keith Fotheringham of Dundee, has already pleaded guilty to several offences, including assault by penetration and conspiracy to rape, and remains in custody awaiting sentencing. The other 11 defendants, aged 28 to 73 and from various parts of the UK, deny the allegations. Among them is Jonathan Kirk, a 43-year-old paramedic who was photographed shaking hands with Prince Harry in 2011, and Karl Lindsay, a 55-year-old former football club chief executive. Both are charged with rape-related conspiracies and assault offences.
Prosecutors allege that some of the men were invited to the couple’s home in Stockport to carry out the crimes. The trial, originally set to begin on Tuesday, was postponed to Wednesday due to unforeseen circumstances. The proceedings are expected to last up to 12 weeks.