How police finally brought ‘chilling’ stalker to justice
CITY FANS WEBSITE FOUNDER HARASSED MEN IN SICK CAMPAIGN
BACK in 2011, City fan Stuart Marshall founded an unofficial fan website to keep fellow Blues supporters up to date on the latest transfer news.
Over the next eight years, City Watch enjoyed considerable growth and currently has an audience of almost 150,000 followers on Twitter and 18,000 on Facebook.
But now Marshall’s career is in tatters, after he was jailed for stalking two former contributors and possessing indecent images of children.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Marshall, 36, embarked on a “chilling” campaign against the two men, aged in their 20s, after they decided to leave City Watch.
For 12 months, Marshall continually sent threats to the men and their families, hacked their social media accounts and carried out sick stunts.
On one occasion, a fake Twitter profile was set up in the one of the victim’s names and a post was sent calling for Liverpool fans to be stabbed and a reference to the Hillsborough disaster.
On another, a profile was set up on classified ads website Craigslist with the victim’s name, phone number and address offering “casual sex”.
At an earlier hearing, Marshall, of Leslie Avenue, Bury, pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking and one charge of unauthorised access to computer material to facilitate the commission of an offence, relating to the hacking, and three charges of possessing indecent images of children.
Dan Gaskell, defending, said Marshall’s “mental state”, including an unnamed psychological disorder, “played a significant part in the commission of these offences.”
Mr Gaskell said his offending was bound to have a “disastrous” effect on his ability to run the City Watch business, and that Marshall has had to employ others to keep it running due to restrictions on his use of computers and the internet.
However, Judge Angela Nield rejected pleas to suspend his sentence and Marshall put his head in his hands in the dock as he was told he would be sent straight to prison and would serve two years and four months.
As he was led down to the cells, Marshall could be heard shouting “what are you laughing at” at one of his victims in the public gallery.
The M.E.N. understands the victims were initially reluctant to make Marshall’s behaviour a criminal matter.
But the turning point came when Marshall tried to “set up” one of the victims in a drug deal. He decided it was time to tell police. When officers heard more about the complaint, they realised Marshall had carried out a campaign of terror for many months, often using his skills to hide his identity.
Around the same time, the second victim came forward with a similar story.
Greater Manchester Police’s Cybercrime unit launched an investigation and managed to trace the incidents back to Marshall.
Then, when officers raided his home in Bury, several dozen indecent images and videos of young boys, aged between 11 and 16, were found on a pen drive.
The court heard how Marshall’s stalking included placing an advert on a swinger’s website containing the contact details of one victim and his girlfriend, and unpaid pizzas arrived at their home.
Both victims were also sent links to porn sites with mocked-up pictures including their girlfriend’s face and name.
Prosecutors said Marshall wasn’t directly responsible for each and every act described, but had enlisted the help of others to aid him in the task of “harassing” the pair.
Mr Gaskell, defending, told the court Marshall’s behaviour was a reaction “to being left on his own by the two complainants with his business, which although established, was still very much in its infancy, which he had started from scratch much to his credit. It was an over-reaction.
“He set up this business using his skills with social media and was able to move from what was essentially a hobby into a business which could be monetised.”
Det Con Jim Lyons, of GMP’s Cybercrime Unit, said: “Hiding behind his computer, Marshall naively thought he would never get caught but, thanks to the men who bravely contacted us to put a stop to his incessant stalking, we can now safely say he’ll be behind bars for some time.”
City Watch has not replied to requests for comment following Marshall’s sentencing.