An acid-suffering serial fraudster was sentenced to jail and allowed to bring his flask in the dock.
Mark Marshall, 55, was being sentenced in Inner London Crown Court on April 29, 2019 for purchasing £77,000 worth of photography equipment with fake cheques and selling it to cash converters.
Soon after receiving a sentence of two years and half in prison, he took down the corrosive drug.
Two months later, he died from injuries sustained in an accident at the hospital.
Marshall died of multiple organ failure, and acid-ingestion damage. A post-mortem examination revealed this.
Marc Marshall, a conman who had several aliases, died from acid poisoning while in court. He was allowed to take the acid flask into the dock. An inquest found that Marshall’s family were permitted to carry the acid flask.
His wife described him as a “repeat offenders” during the inquest. He had previously conned high-profile athletes, including Olympic athletes.
In 2016, he posed as an MI6 spy to dupe disgraced footballer Adam Johnson’s family out of £170,000 after her was jailed for six years for intimately touching a girl of 15.
He allegedly promised to find vital evidence for his family, and he made several payments.
Marshall also had mental issues that were made known to the inquest jury. His personality disorder was well-known and he had previously stabbed himself in his neck in 2016 after being placed in police custody.
Marc Marchall was pictured during a visit to Monaco Grand Prix with David Coulthard, an F1 driver. The jury learned that Marc Marchall had suffered from mental illness during his inquest.
Southwark Coroner’s Court witnessed officers from SERCO who supply custody staff face challenging questions.
Marshall, it is believed, was permitted to bring his dark-coloured flask with him into the dock as he waited for sentencing. A female dock officer gave it to Marshall.
According to incident report, the officer said that he had “placed this on one side and not considered it”
Soon after the sentencing, the defendant had asked for the flask. He was then “screaming in pain” after having ingested the substance.
Marc Marshall, pictured in Inner London Crown Court was present when he took the acid and poured it over his body. The inquest found that Marshall was’screaming in pain’ following the incident.
Pete Masters (Head of Professional Standards at SERCO) was at court when the incident occurred and explained to jurors that all possessions of the defendants had been verified before admission to the dock.
Andrew Harris, the Senior Coroner of Custody, was asked whether the annual refresher training given to staff included food and liquid.
He stated that, at the time of this ‘unfortunate incidence’, it was the policy to expel a defendant from his possessions.
He stated that officers are equipped to handle any situation. This includes communicating with defendants, using interpersonal skills and escalate the case to call in other officers.
On December 17, the inquest will be concluded.