Ex-Tory councillor drugged and raped wife for 13 years

AN EX-TORY councillor has admitted drugging and raping his then-wife over 13 years.

- BY PATRICK HILL

Dad-of-three Philip Young, 49, pleaded guilty to multiple sex offences against his ex Joanne, who waived her right to anonymity and bravely watched in the public gallery.

It took the disgraced business consultant 27 minutes to enter his pleas to the offences. He admitted 48 of the 56 charges against him, including 11 counts of rape, four of sexual assault, seven of assault by penetration and 11 of administering a substance with intent.

He also confessed to 14 counts of voyeurism and one of publishing obscene material, including non-consensual intimate photographs and videos of his then-wife, on at least 500 occasions. A court was told the offences, between 2010 and 2023, were all committed against Joanne.

Young, wearing a prison-issue tracksuit, was brought to court from HMP Bullingdon.