Former Conservative Councillor Pleads Guilty to Prolonged Abuse of Ex-Wife
A former Conservative councillor has admitted to a horrific campaign of abuse against his former wife, spanning over 14 years and involving nearly 50 separate offences. Philip Young, 49, entered guilty pleas at Winchester Crown Court to a series of charges that reveal a pattern of calculated and sustained criminal behaviour.
Details of the Guilty Pleas and Court Proceedings
Young, who previously served as a Conservative councillor on Swindon Borough Council from 2007 to 2010, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape and 11 counts of administering a substance with intent to stupefy his ex-spouse, Joanne Young, 48. The court heard that Joanne Young, who has waived her right to anonymity, was the complainant in all cases and sat facing her former husband during the proceedings.
In addition to these serious charges, Young also admitted to:
- 14 counts of voyeurism, including one count that covered at least 200 individual acts
- 7 counts of assault by penetration
- 4 counts of sexual assault
- 1 count of publishing obscene articles on at least 500 occasions
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2010 and 2024. Young appeared in court wearing a prison-issue grey sweater and pleaded not guilty to additional charges including three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possession of prohibited images, and four counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.
Background of the Former Councillor
Philip Young, born in Enfield in June 1976, graduated from the University of Westminster in 1998 before entering local politics. His tenure as a Conservative councillor in Swindon lasted from 2007 until 2010, during which time he served as cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development.
According to local reports, Young resigned from his cabinet position on 6 May 2010, citing a desire to devote more time to his family and run his own business. "Trying to juggle all of that, family and work, I don't think it is fair on my family to put them bottom of that priority list," he told the Swindon Advertiser at the time.
Ironically, the same publication had featured Young in September 2009 after he delivered his son when his wife went into labour at their family home. Since leaving politics, Young has been director of several companies and was most recently chief operating officer at Pracedo, a consultancy firm.
Other Defendants in Related Cases
Five other men appeared in court alongside Young on Friday in connection with alleged offences against Joanne Young. The defendants and their pleas include:
- Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, of Swindon - pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and assault by penetration
- Norman Macksoni, 47, of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire - pleaded not guilty to rape and possessing an extreme pornographic image
- Richard Wilkins, 61, of Toothill, Swindon - pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration and rape
- Mohammed Hassan, 37, of Swindon - pleaded not guilty to sexual assault
- Dean Hamilton, 47, of Compton Dundon in Somerset - charged with assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault and rape (yet to enter pleas)
The case continues to develop as the legal process unfolds for all defendants involved in these serious allegations.
