Fife rapist who put a snake on woman’s body is jailed for six years

Craig Marshall, formerly of Church Street, Kirkcaldy, threatened to rape his first victim before subjecting her to a rape ordeal after she was pushed and fell to the floor at a house in Fife.

Marshall (34) also throttled a second woman during attacks on her at addresses in the Kingdom and placed a snake on her body - and he subjected her to a car trip where he drove at excessive speed while drinking as she was in the passenger seat. He also threatened to reveal intimate images of her to others.

Marshall denied a series of charges during an earlier trial but was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh of five offences, including assault, rape and abusive conduct committed between March 2007 and August 2021

He began his offending while still a teenager when he assaulted a woman between March 2007 and December the following year. During the attacks he tried to punch her, grabbed her by the hair, seized her by the hair and grabbed her by the throat, pushing her against a wall and threatening her. Marshall went on to carry out a sex attack on the woman in July 2010.

He carried out further assaults on his second victim between July 2015 and December 2018. He also rubbed food on her face and pushed her out of a house in Cardenden.

Marshall also shouted and swore at her and subjected her to abusive remarks and threats of violence as well as breaking phones and furniture. In 2021 Marshall posted videos on social media in which he swore and made threats against both women.

Defence counsel Edward Targowski KC said that during his military career Marshall served "under combat" in Iraq which resulted in mental health problems for him.

A judge told him: "These were serious and unpleasant offences committed against women."

Judge Norman McFadyen said: "They disclose an attitude of denial and victim blaming."

Marshall was ordered to be under supervision in the community for a further three year period when he can be returned to prison if he breaches licence conditions. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.