A man in his 60s has been charged with drugging and raping his wife and inviting several men to sexually assault her while she was unconscious, in a case being heard in the north of England. After a legal reporting restriction was lifted, the identities of the co-defendants can now be revealed, though the alleged victim and her husband cannot be named in order to protect her identity, Sky News reported.
In total, 13 men have been charged in connection with the alleged plot. According to the broadcaster, the men all deny a range of charges, including rape, conspiracy to rape and assault by penetration. The case has caused significant anguish and debate, and the proceedings continue as the defendants contest the accusations against them.
Among those accused is Jonathan Kirk, a 43-year-old senior paramedic. According to the reporting, Kirk had previously met Prince Harry during a visit to Salford Ambulance Station in the aftermath of the 2011 riots, a detail that has drawn particular attention to his place on the list of defendants.
A separate defendant, Carl Lindsay, is accused of supplying drugs to incapacitate the alleged victim and of receiving photographs and videos of the abuse in return, a charge he denies. Lindsay resigned as chief executive of Taunton Town Football Club around the time of his arrest last year, according to the broadcaster.
The remaining men charged in the case come from across the north of England and beyond, and include a taxi driver from Stockport and a former junior football coach from Greater Manchester, among others. Each of the accused has denied the charges, which range from rape and conspiracy to rape to assault by penetration.
Until recently, a court order had prevented the men from being publicly identified. With that restriction now lifted, their names can be reported, marking a significant moment in a case that had been kept largely out of public view. Strict protections, however, remain firmly in place for the alleged victim and her husband, who continue to be shielded from identification.
The decision to lift the order means the scale of the alleged plot can now be set out in public for the first time. With 13 defendants all contesting the charges against them, the case is expected to move through the courts over the coming period, with the allegations to be tested in full at trial.