Graham Brougham, 74, has pleaded guilty at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to raping a woman in September 2024. The victim was drugged and abused by her husband in Stockport over a twenty-year period, with multiple other defendants facing trial or awaiting sentencing.
The unfolding criminal case in Greater Manchester has expanded as another defendant admitted his role in the prolonged abuse of a woman at her family home in Stockport. Graham Brougham, 74, entered a guilty plea to a charge of raping the victim in September 2024. Court proceedings have steadily moved forward at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, where the victim has watched developments unfold from the public gallery while accompanied by a family member.
Husband Admits 62 Offences Over Two Decades of Abuse
The central figure in the case, a husband in his sixties who cannot be identified to protect his wife’s anonymity, appeared via videolink from prison to enter further guilty pleas. He admitted an additional rape and sexual assault against her, bringing his total count to 62 offences. Last month, he broke down in tears while admitting 60 charges involving the drugging and raping of his wife over a 20-year period.
Pleas From Sean Peers and Other Defendants Ahead of Trial
Unemployed Sean Peers, 38, of Stockport, also appeared at the court to change his plea, admitting a single offence of assault by penetration. Judge Maurice Greene informed Peers that he would become subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act, granting him bail ahead of a later sentencing date. Peers had previously been scheduled to stand trial alongside 11 other men who deny various allegations connected to the case.
Keith Fotheringham, 59, a technician at the University of Dundee, previously admitted his role in the case. Fotheringham pleaded guilty in February 2026 to four offences committed between 2023 and 2025, including conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to commit assault by penetration, conspiracy to administer a substance with intent, and assault by penetration. Meanwhile, the remaining defendants facing trial include a taxi driver, an ambulance paramedic, and local residents who continue to contest the charges against them.
