Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Få ubegrenset tilgang til over 9000 magasiner, aviser og premiumhistorier for bare

$149.99
 
$74.99/År

Prøve GULL - Gratis

'This was no hangover, we had been spiked'

Daily Express

|

August 18, 2025

One minute Sara and Stephen Ridgewell were having fun at a party, the next they were in a hotel room with no recollection why...

- INTERVIEW BY ALI GRAVES

'This was no hangover, we had been spiked'

The atmosphere on the minibus was electric as Stephen and Sara Ridgewell headed out for an ex-colleague’s engagement party. Little did they know their evening off from parenting duties would quickly turn into the night from hell.

The couple, who have been married for 19 years, left their son Sid, who was four at the time, in the safe hands of Sara’s sister Katy Hood, 30.

They headed to nearby Chelmsford - only half-an-hour from their home - for an evening of drinks, dancing and celebration.

But in less than two hours, their night took a terrifying turn.

“We had a can of gin and tonic on the minibus, as you do, then we arrived at the venue,” says Sara, an events florist.

Stephen, a maintenance engineer, adds: “I bought Sara a bottle of prosecco and I had a couple of pints. The only drink we shared was when I had a glass from her bottle.”

Sara says they weren't even planning to drink much when they went out on that night back in February 2023. “We had a four-year-old at home - it’s never worth it the next day,” she explains.

FLASHBACKS

But the pair believe their drinks were spiked and hours later they found themselves lying in an unfamiliar hotel room - with no recollection of how they got there and no memory of their night out.

Sara, 43, and Stephen, 46, say they didn't share drinks with anyone else at the party and although there were some faces they didn't recognise there, for the most part they were surrounded by friends and they didn't feel uncomfortable.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA Daily Express

Daily Express

RINGSIDE SEAT TO A BRUISING RISE TO GLORY

Director David Michod’s heavyweight boxing drama, based on the life of Christy Martin, who blazed a trail for women in the 90s, delivers its most devastating blows outside the ring.

time to read

1 min

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

Chaotic leak 'may have come from outside OBR'

THE Budget leak that plunged Rachel Reeves's speech into chaos may have come from an \"external person\", the head of the spending watchdog has said.

time to read

1 min

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

Daily Express

'Commit to triple lock or face ballot wipeout'

Anger after Farage refuses to guarantee it

time to read

1 mins

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

Suspect held for terror hit at synagogue

A SEVENTH suspect has been arrested over a terrorist attack on a synagogue that left two worshippers dead.

time to read

1 min

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

WASTEFUL EAGLES ARE STRANDED AS MOURABET STRIKES

CRYSTAL PALACE were left to rue missed chances as victory slipped through their fingers in the Conference League in Strasbourg.

time to read

1 min

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

SLOT'S KOP HAVE BECOME A BUNCH OF SOFTIES

Salah, Wirtz, Isak & Co just don't look up to the physical challenge as honest Jones spelt it all out in four brutal minutes

time to read

2 mins

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

We don't just sing George's songs, we've lived them...

The George Michael Singers worked with the pop superstar for decades before his untimely death aged 53. Ahead of a new live show celebrating his hits, they reveal George's kind-hearted generosity, struggles with loneliness and fascination with soap operas

time to read

5 mins

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

O Come, All Ye Payful...& charge a fee

HOSTING Christmas Day could set you back more than £500 — so one solution could be charging your guests, experts suggest.

time to read

1 min

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

Daily Express

New strain is driving surge in flu outbreak

FLU infections are increasing in England as health chiefs warn families to protect themselves in the build up to the festive season.

time to read

1 mins

November 28, 2025

Daily Express

Daily Express

Animal experiment ban needs to cover all types of testing

AFTER decades of campaigning, the tide is finally turning on the use of animals in laboratory experiments.

time to read

3 mins

November 28, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size