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Rape-accused tells jury woman 'participated' and did not appear drugged

Four men are on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of sexual offences against Joanne Young.

November 5, 2026 • 14:06Updated 2 hours ago3 min read

Norman Macksoni arrives at court. He is wearing sunglasses and a black puffer jacket with the hood up. He is looking down and speaking on the phone. — Norman Macksoni, 48, denies one count of rapePhoto: Press Association

A man accused of raping a woman whose husband posted online sex adverts about her has told a court she "participated" and he believed she consented.

Philip Young has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of drugging and sexually abusing his wife, Joanne Young, during a 13-year period at their home in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Four men are on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of sexually abusing Joanne, who has waived her right to anonymity.

Norman Macksoni, 48, of Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire, told the court he had "full engagement" from Joanne and she did not appear to be drugged. He denies one count of rape alleged to have happened in February 2017.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

Macksoni, who used the name Dark Stranger on website Fab Swingers, said there were "very high numbers" of adverts for cuckolding on the site, which he said was "where you have got married couples and one partner wanted to see their wife with another male".

He said Young, who used the username London Monkey, had contacted him through the site and invited him to have sex with him and his wife, saying Joanne would be blindfolded because she did not want to see who she was having sex with.

The defendant said he believed Young's messages and added: "There was no reason not to."

Macksoni said when he went into the couple's bedroom, Young was sat on the side of the bed while Joanne was restrained on the bed with a mask on.

Head and shoulders image of Joanne Young in a black top. She has black hair and is smiling. She is standing in a room in front of a painting. — Joanne Young has waived her right to anonymityPhoto: Wiltshire Police/Press Association

He said "she had her feet flat on the bed and knees up and [Young] was saying something to her, they were having a conversation".

"I can't remember what she said, she did say something but I can't remember what it was.

"I heard him say 'he is here'," Macksoni told the court.

Macksoni said he then had sex with Joanne and told the jury "she was participating in what was happening".

He added he would have stopped if she had not been participating.

Macksoni said Young was behind him, which he described as "unnerving", and he was unaware he was filming.

When asked what he did to ensure Joanne was safe, he said: "They are asking me to go to their safe place which is their home."

Macksoni said he believed Joanne had agreed to having unprotected sex and added: "That was what was being asked for.

"At the time I didn't know it was just her husband had been speaking, I thought it was the two of them speaking to me."

Police head and shoulders image of Young, who has short greying hair and a brown/grey beard. — Philip Young admitted a string of sexual offences against his now ex-wifePhoto: Wiltshire Police

Macksoni is on trial with Richard Wilkins, 62, Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, and Mohammed Hassan, 38. They all deny sexual offences against Joanne.

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.