Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court is set to hear a 12-week case against a husband in his 60s and 12 other men accused of abusing his wife over more than two decades.
Prosecutors say the husband invited some men to the couple’s Stockport home to assault her after she was drugged; he faces 48 charges dating to 2004 and has pleaded guilty to 15 while denying 33.
The 12 co-defendants, aged 28 to 73 and drawn from across the UK, deny the charges; the trial’s Tuesday start was pushed to Wednesday because of what the court called unforeseen circumstances.
Keith Fotheringham, 59, separately pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to administer a substance with intent, and remains in custody for later sentencing.
The case centers on alleged abuse spanning 2004 to 2025, making it one of the UK’s most extensive multi-defendant sexual abuse trials in recent years.