British man pleads guilty to drugging and raping wife for 20 years

A British man in his 60s pleaded guilty on Monday to drugging and raping his wife without her knowledge for more than 20 years, in a case described by police as a "horrific campaign of abuse." The man, who cannot be named to protect his wife's lifelong anonymity, entered his plea at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on the day his trial was scheduled to begin. The defendant admitted to a total of 60 offenses, including 21 counts of assault, 15 counts of assault by penetration, 11 counts of sexual assault, and one count of sharing intimate images of his wife without consent. The abuse occurred at their home in the Stockport area of Greater Manchester between 2004 and 2025. Prosecutors stated the woman was repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted while unconscious, having been drugged by her husband with alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two. The victim was present in the courtroom as her husband entered his guilty pleas. She sat in the public gallery, holding hands with two family members, and appeared to wipe away tears on several occasions. The court heard that the man initially denied all charges before changing his pleas to guilty this summer.