Hollywood actress Zara Phythian has been sentenced to eight years in prison. This is reported by the “BBC”. A court in Nottingham, England, ruled that Phythian and her husband Victor Marke, a martial arts instructor, sexually abused a girl 14 times.
Zara Phythian was seen in the blockbuster “Doctor Strange” alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Mads Mikkelsen. The 37-year-old had also worked as a stunt woman.
According to the BBC, the victim said in court: “You have robbed me of my innocence, damaged me and made me unable to have healthy relationships today.” The incidents happened between 2005 and 2008. The girl was 13 years old when the crimes began.
The victim testified that Victor Marke threatened to smash her kneecaps if she told anyone about the events.
The BBC quoted the Nottingham Crown Court judge as saying the actress’ 59-year-old husband was the “driver behind the abuse”. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Phythian and Marke were a couple at the time of the incidents and married in 2015.
The court saw it as proven that Marke had sexually assaulted another, then 15-year-old, victim. The two victims only contacted the police years later.
Zara Phythian denied all allegations until the end. Victor Marke claimed in court that he only had sex with the girl once. Phythian was not involved. A spokeswoman for the British law enforcement agency CPS said according to the BBC that the two accused had been exposed in court as “liars”.