Man denies sexually abusing child with actress Zara Phythian

A man accused of sexually abusing a child with his actress wife has told jurors that he did not do so.

Victor Marke and Zara Phythian - who appeared in Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch - are charged with repeatedly having sex with the girl, starting when she was 13.

Mr Marke told jurors he did engage in sexual activity with the girl once, but claimed she was 18 at the time.

He and his wife deny all of the offences they are accused of.

Francis McGrath, who is representing Mr Marke, asked him about an interview he gave to police after being arrested.

"In interview you made an admission regarding sexual activity with [girl's name]," Mr McGrath said.

"Can you tell us how old [she] was at the time?"

Mr Marke said: "18."

When asked how many times it happened, Mr Marke said: "The encounter happened on one occasion."

When questioned about the nature of the sexual activity, he said: "Kissing... and her oral sex. I mean she giving me."

Mr Marke and Ms Phythian - whose legal name is now Zara Marke - are accused of jointly engaging in more types of sexual activity with the girl than this, and each type of sexual activity is alleged to have happened on at least six occasions.

The girl, who is now an adult, told police the couple filmed most of the alleged abuse in an attempt to recreate pornographic scenes.

The sexual offences are alleged to have been committed between 2005 and 2008, when the girl was aged between 13 and 15, and before the couple were married.

Mr Marke is also accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl between 2002 and 2003, and Mr McGrath asked him about this too.

"[She] has described a number of occasions where you touched her sexually," he said. "Have you touched her sexually?"

Mr Marke said: "No I haven't."

Mr McGrath asked: "[She] has described having regular sexual intercourse with you in the family home. Did that happen?"

Mr Marke replied: "No."

Nottingham Crown Court has heard the couple were both martial arts instructors in Nottinghamshire, running clubs in Sherwood and Gedling.

Mr Marke, 59, and Ms Phythian, 36, are jointly accused of 14 charges of sexual activity with a child in relation to one of the women.

Mr Marke is also accused of four additional charges of indecently assaulting a child, which are in relation to the 15-year-old he allegedly abused between 2002 and 2003.

The trial continues.

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