Rape accused 'told woman would pretend to be asleep'

A man accused of raping a woman after he answered an advert for sex online said he was told she would "pretend to be asleep" by her then husband.

Richard Wilkins, 62, is one of four men accused of sexual offences against Joanne Young, who was drugged and raped by Philip Young over 13 years at their Swindon home.

Giving evidence, Wilkins said he was told to "come in, have sex and leave" after answering a Craigslist post in 2016 that he thought was placed by the couple but was actually placed by Young alone.

Wilkins is on trial with Norman Macksoni, 48, Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, and Mohammed Hassan, 38. They all deny sexual offences against Joanne, who was waived her right to anonymity.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

Wilkins, of Toothill in Swindon, who worked as a taxi driver in the town at the time, has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one of assault by penetration.

He told the court he had responded to an ad that he believed was from "a couple looking for another guy".

Recalling what the advert said, Wilkins told Winchester Crown Court: "It was something about one of her fantasies is to be tied and blindfolded, and for this to work properly for her it should be anonymous."

Wilkins said he also remembered being told by Young that his wife might be drunk.

"I remember saying it wouldn't be much fun if she's pissed. [Young] said maybe she has had a drink, she pretends to sleep and if you get her going she might respond," he told the court.

Before attending the couple's home, Wilkins said he had sent two photos of himself, after Young said his wife requested it.

Wilkins said he had asked to speak to Joanne during a phone call prior to the incident, but Young told him she was busy and had said to tell him "she's looking forward to having you".

"I said, 'would you rather us meet for a drink?'. [Young] said no," Wilkins told the court.

The defendant said he had got the impression the Youngs "seemed endearing, like it was genuine".

"The impression I got, he was very confident about it, that they had a lot of experience, it was something they were comfortable doing it, they were happy doing it," he added.

The court previously heard Young had placed 20 adverts on Craigslist inviting men to have sex with his wife. He also posted on other sites, including Grindr and Fab Swingers.

One advert said the idea was to "quietly use her body" and that "even a voice would be a giveaway" to the person's identity, the jury heard.

The court was previously told the investigation into Young was launched after police were alerted to the fact he had uploaded extreme pornographic images to the internet in 2023.

Searches of his devices found nearly 500 images of Joanne "in a state of undress", with the majority "not with knowledge or consent".

Young has admitted 48 offences against his ex-wife, including voyeurism, rape, administering a substance with intent, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He also pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images of children, and four of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton, 47, of Street, Somerset, has admitted one charge of assault by penetration, two of sexual assault and one of rape.

Young and Hamilton will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

The trial continues.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line for information and support

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.