Doctor Strange actress and her husband jailed for sex crimes
COUPLE ARE SENTENCED TO A COMBINED 22 YEARS
SHAMED Hollywood star Zara Marke continued to protest her innocence as she was led away yesterday to start an eight-year prison sentence for sex offences.
The elite martial artist was wearing a pale grey sweat top and bottoms in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court, and was separated by a row of chairs from her perverted husband Victor Marke, who was sentenced to a total of 14 years.
The couple were found guilty of being involved in sex games with an underage victim.
Judge Mark Watson, addressing Zara Marke, who acted under the name Zara Phythian, said: “You chose to play your part in the corruption of the girl when you should have protected her.”
Zara Marke, 37, of Taurus Close, Mansfield, was jailed for eight years for sexual activity with the child – 14 charges she jointly denied with her older martial arts instructor husband, 59, from Mavis Avenue, Ravenshead.
She was led away amid a chorus of “I love you Zara”, from the public gallery.
Victor Marke was jailed for a total of 14 years, with four years of that sentence included for additional charges – which he also denied – of indecent assault on another girl, which he was convicted of by a jury at their trial last week.
Both are now on the sex offenders’ register for life, and automatically barred from working with children.
The judge told them both, on the joint charges, that they exposed the victim and subjected her to sexual behaviour “far beyond her years and maturity”.
Much of the sexual activity with her was video recorded and the beginning of the abuse was facilitated with alcohol.
The court heard the abuse started when fourth dan black belt Zara Marke asked the girl if she wanted to play a game of “dare”, which the judge said the girl thought had been planned and, “a set up”.
Her powerfully emotional victim impact statement told how she was an outgoing, happy, confident child, but how the Markes “robbed me of my innocence”.
She was scared and intimidated by the disgraced couple but then she realised it had to stop.
“I wouldn’t allow myself to go back and continue to be your puppet,” she said
Now a parent herself, she could not comprehend why anyone would take a child into an adult sexual relationship.
“I have become an adult now,” she added.
“All that pain, anger, disgust and shame I felt is now on you. Both of you.”
James Valey, defending Zara Marke, who appeared as Zealot Brunette in Marvel’s 2016 Doctor Strange film, said: “She was young, naive, she has lived an otherwise good and blameless life and the cost to her, and everything she has worked for...she will never get that back.”