Husband who drugged and raped wife was 'monster' who lived 'double life'

Wednesday, 4 November 2026 at 17:42

By Henry Vaughan, home affairs reporter

A husband who drugged and raped his wife for 21 years was a 'monster' who lived a double life, a court has heard.

Warning: This story contains descriptions of alleged sexual offences

The man, who is in his 60s and from Stockport, filmed the abuse, amassing more than a million images, which he shared online.

He allegedly invited other men to the family home to rape and sexually assault his wife, while she was unconscious, from at least 2023.

The husband has admitted 62 offences between 2004 and 2025, while nine men are on trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, where they deny a variety of sexual offences against his wife.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley KC said he lived a "double life" for 21 years, as she showed the jury pictures of the couple sitting happily in their garden at the "height of summer" in June last year.

"They have their arms wrapped around each other and are smiling. They look a normal, happy couple," she said.

But what looked "completely and utterly innocent" came before he subjected her to "one of the worst nights" of abuse while she was unconscious, said Ms Oakley.

"That, you may think, is the imagery that sums up his depravity. He can be like that one minute and then the next be the monster we have seen on many, many occasions," she continued.

"She was completely unaware of what he was doing to her."

The court heard the man, who cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of his wife, invited two men - one after an another - to their home within the space of an hour on 15 September 2024.

Graham Brougham, 74, raped the man's wife while she was unconscious, leaving at 2.22am.

But the man "was not satisfied" and by 3.13am Sean Peers, 38, was inside the house, where he sexually assaulted the woman, said the prosecutor.

Brougham, from Northwich, Cheshire, and Peers, from Stockport, have admitted their sexual offending, along with Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, and Karl Lindsay, 56, from Taunton, Somerset.

The jury was told one of the men on trial, Mohammed Sabir, 28, left an online "Tripadvisor-style" review on the fabswingers.com website after allegedly raping the man's wife.

The husband can be heard whispering in a video of the incident played in court, while his wife is snoring, while in another image, the prosecutor described her as looking like a "rag doll".

She said Sabir left a review, like "when you visit a nice restaurant or hotel", for other men with a sexual interest in "unaware women", writing: "Really easy to set up a meet… hope to meet again soon."

The court heard senior paramedic Jonathan Kirk, 43, told the husband drugging his wife could be "extremely dangerous" but visited in the early hours of 17 August last year to allegedly rape her.

Ms Oakley said he was fully aware she was unconscious because he had been "trained to spot" the signs.

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She said the husband shared images of him and others abusing his wife and shared the images with contacts online, including mechanic Daniel Rayner, 42, who "almost cheered" it on.

After playing one video to jurors in which the wife can be heard snoring, the prosecutor said the idea that it was fantasy or role play "beggars belief".

The husband has pleaded guilty to all of the charges he faced, including multiple counts of rape and administering substances with intent to stupefy his wife, and will give evidence for the prosecution.

Kitchen firm sales rep David Graves, 60, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and Rayner, from Whitstable, Kent, deny conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.

Robert Stewart, 70, of Stockport, denies rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.

Taxi driver Philip Wild, 59, of Stockport, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, attempted rape, assault by penetration and conspiracy to rape.

Sabir, of Stockport, denies rape and conspiracy to rape, while building supplies worker Jordan Wallace, 31, from Manchester, denies rape and attempted rape.

Industrial cleaning firm worker Alan Keelan, 42, from Manchester, denies attempted rape and assault by penetration.

Sheet metal worker Richard Townsend, 38, from Greater Manchester, denies assault by penetration; and senior paramedic Kirk, of Stockport, denies rape and conspiracy to rape.

The trial continues on Thursday.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Husband who drugged and raped wife was 'monster' who lived 'double life'

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