A swindler took a shocking step by ingesting acid in the courtroom upon learning he was headed to prison. Mark Marshall, originally known as Mark Castley and using various aliases, once impersonated an ex-MI6 agent to scam Adam Johnson’s family out of £170,000.
Tragically, Marshall passed away after sneaking a corrosive substance past security into Inner London Crown Court, where he faced sentencing for a new fraud offense in April 2019. An inquest revealed that he likely concealed the substance in his shoe and mixed it into a water bottle during a break in the court proceedings. His death occurred two months later in the hospital due to multiple organ failure caused by acid ingestion and diabetes complications.
During the inquest, Marshall’s widow, Theresa Mulberry, disclosed that the 55-year-old career criminal had a diagnosed personality disorder and had attempted suicide at least five times while incarcerated to escape unpleasant situations. Describing him as highly intelligent and athletic, Theresa mentioned his early success as a tennis coach working with prominent sports figures.
Marshall received his first suspended prison sentence in 1998, leading to a cycle of imprisonment and self-harm incidents throughout his life. Despite his non-violent nature, his activities were driven by financial motives, often targeting individuals recognizable from the media through identity changes to evade detection.
The court was informed that Marshall, operating under the alias Mark Hill-Wood in 2016, falsely claimed a lengthy service history with intelligence agencies to manipulate the Johnson family amid the footballer’s legal issues. He also defrauded others, including the ex-wife of a bankrupt businessman and luxury stores like Harrods, with elaborate schemes involving substantial sums.
Before his tragic suicide, Marshall faced a prison term for fraudulently obtaining photography equipment using counterfeit checks and selling it to pawnshops. The sequence of events leading to his self-inflicted demise shed light on a troubled life marked by deceit, manipulation, and recurrent encounters with the law.
If you need emotional support, contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org, or visit their branch in person or online.