Join BBC Journalist, Mat Trewern and BBC Radio Manchester Presenter, Michelle Dignan, as they follow this major criminal trial.
In this episode we hear about fresh guilty pleas from the husband and one other defendant.
The husband, in this 60s from Stockport in Greater Manchester pleaded guilty to 15 charges in June this year, including raping his wife and sharing intimate images of her without her consent. He pleaded guilty to a further 45 charges in September and two more this week. He will not now be part of the trial.
We are not reporting the husband's name to protect his wife’s legal right to lifetime anonymity
11 other men will face trial for a range of sexual offences against the same woman. Allegations they deny. One man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, Scotland pleaded guilty earlier this year to all the charges he faced and another man, Sean Peers, 38 from Stockport, has changed his plea, now pleading guilty to assault by penetration. They will be sentenced at a later date.
Reporter: Mat Trewern
Presenter: Michelle Dignan
Producer: Darren Milby
Executive Producer: Rebecca Parker
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin
2 Oct 2026
Stockport Drug and Rape Trial: The Defence
Join BBC Journalist, Mat Trewern and BBC Radio Manchester Presenter, Michelle Dignan, as they follow this major criminal trial.
In this episode, whilst there is a gap in court proceedings, Mat and Michelle take a closer look at the role of a Defence barrister in a major criminal trial and speak to Barrister, Amelia Clegg.
We will continue to follow the trial of 12 men who are accused of sexually abusing a woman. Her husband, a man in his sixties, pleaded guilty to sixty charges of drugging and raping his wife.
The husband cannot be named to maintain his wife's anonymity.
The twelve other men are alleged to have committed sexual offences against the same victim.
One man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, Scotland, has already pleaded guilty to all charges he faced.
The 12 defendants – who all deny the charges - will stand trial at the same time, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Reporter: Mat Trewern
Presenter: Michelle Dignan
Producer: Darren Milby
Executive Producer: Rebecca Parker
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin
30 Sept 2026
Stockport Drug and Rape Trial: The Prosecution
Join BBC Journalist, Mat Trewern and BBC Radio Manchester Presenter, Michelle Dignan, as they follow this major criminal trial.
In this episode, whilst there is a gap in court proceedings, Mat and Michelle take a closer look at the role of the Prosecution in a major criminal trial and speak to Ben Samples, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) West Midlands.
We will continue to follow the trial of 12 men who are accused of sexually abusing a woman. Her husband, a man in his sixties, pleaded guilty to sixty charges of drugging and raping his wife.
The husband cannot be named to maintain his wife's anonymity.
The twelve other men are alleged to have committed sexual offences against the same victim.
One man, Keith Fotheringham, 59, from Dundee, Scotland, has already pleaded guilty to all charges he faced.
The 12 defendants – who all deny the charges - will stand trial at the same time, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Reporter: Mat Trewern
Presenter: Michelle Dignan
Producer: Darren Milby
Executive Producer: Rebecca Parker
Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin
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