Actress Zara Phythian and husband guilty of child sex offences

2 years ago 43

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By Caroline Lowbridge
BBC News

Image source, Zara Phythian/Instagram

Image caption,

Victor Marke and Zara Phythian married in 2015

A film actress and her martial arts instructor husband have been found guilty of child sex offences.

Zara Phythian - who appeared in Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch - groomed and sexually abused a girl together with her husband Victor Marke.

Marke also sexually abused another girl on his own.

Phythian, who is 37, was found guilty of 14 sexual offences at Nottingham Crown Court while her husband, who is 59, was found guilty of 18.

The court heard the couple met when he was her martial arts instructor, and she went on to have a successful career in martial arts, as a stuntwoman, and actress.

Phythian said she got together with Marke shortly before her 20th birthday, which was in May 2005. They married in 2015.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Phythian appeared in Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch

When Marke gave his evidence at Nottingham Crown Court, he admitted sexual activity with one of the girls but claimed she was 18 at the time.

The prosecution said he had engaged in numerous "threesomes" with the girl and Phythian, starting when the girl was 13.

However, Marke claimed the sexual activity happened on only one occasion, and said Phythian was not involved.

When Phythian gave her evidence, she denied any kind of sexual activity with the girl.

Image source, PA Media

Image caption,

The couple were on bail throughout the trial at Nottingham Crown Court

Marke, who lives in Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, was found guilty of the following charges:

Four counts of indecently assaulting a child, in relation to a 15-year-old girl he abused between 2002 and 2003
Fourteen counts of sexual activity with a child, in relation to a girl he and Phythian abused between 2005 and 2008, when the girl was aged 13, 14 and 15

Phythian, who lives in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, was found guilty of the following charges:

Fourteen counts of sexual activity with a child, in relation to a girl she and Marke abused between 2005 and 2008, when the girl was aged 13, 14 and 15

The couple have not yet been sentenced.

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