Thirteen men who have been accused of raping a woman after her husband allegedly drugged her have been named.
A legal order anonymising the men has been lifted, allowing the media to name and picture them for the first time.
The thirteen men will go on trial in September in what Greater Manchester Police has described as “complex” alleged drug-induced sexual abuse case.
Among the accused is the woman’s husband, a man in his 60s from Stockport, who cannot be named as it would likely lead to her identification.
An alleged victim of sexual abuse gains lifelong anonymity at the point of alleging the crime.
The husband is accused of inviting men to his home to sexually abuse his drugged wife.
He was arrested alongside the 13 men, aged between 28 to 73, the majority of whom are from the Greater Manchester area.
Among those charged are: Jonathan Kirk, 43, a senior paramedic who received personal thanks from Prince Harry for his service during the 2011 Salford riots, Karl Lindsay, 56, the former chief executive of Taunton Town football club who resigned abruptly following his arrest in November, and Alan Robert Keelan, 42, an accounts clerk and youth football coach from Manchester, the Times reports.
Jonathan Kirk, charged with rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration, met Prince Harry after the Salford riots in 2011
|
PA
Other defendants include an employee at the University of Dundee, a senior recruitment consultant, a taxi driver and a DJ.
The majority of the men were remanded in custody, but five were released on bail.
The husband was arrested in October for sexual offences committed against his wife dating from 2004.
He was charged with 48 offences, including 16 incidents of rape, to which he has since pleaded guilty to 15 of those offences at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Jordan Wallace, a dog walker and delivery driver, is accused rape, attempted rape and conspiracy to rape
|
PA
On Monday, he admitted to multiple counts of raping a sexual assaulting his wife between 2022 to 2025, as well as sharing intimate images of her without her consent.
He pleaded guilty to raping her alongside some of the other defendants, but denied several further charges of rape, conspiracy to rape and drugging which dated back more than 20 years.
Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee in Scotland, admitted to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent to stupefy or overpower.
Fotheringham has already entered pleas and will be sentenced in due course.
Sean Peers, unemployed, arriving at Minshull Street Crown Court in March
|
PA
On trial in September is Lindsay as well as David Graves, 59, of Ilkeston, Derbyshire and Daniel Rayner, 42, of Whitstable, Kent.
They all deny conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to assault by penetration and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent.
Graham Brougham, 73, of Northwich, Cheshire, has pleaded not guilty to rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration. He played in a tribute band and is an amateur carpenter.
Philip Wild, 58, a taxi driver from Stockport, has pleaded not guilty to attempted rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration. He had previously complained about crime in his local area when approached by the Manchester Evening News before the 2022 local elections.
Mohammed Sabir, 28, of Stockport, a senior recruitment consultant, denies three counts of rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration.
Kirk denies rape, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to assault by penetration.
Sean Peers, 37, unemployed, of Stockport, has pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration.
Jordan Wallace, 31, a dog walker and delivery driver from Wythenshawe, Manchester, has pleaded not guilty to rape, attempted rape and conspiracy to rape.
Keelan and Robert Stewart, 70, a DJ from Stockport, both deny two counts of rape and conspiracy to rape,
Richard Townsend, 37, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, denies assault by penetration and conspiracy to assault by penetration.