November 2009

CARLISLE MAN WHO SUPPLIED BOYS TO PERVERTS DIES IN PRISON

A Carlisle man jailed for supplying vulnerable teenage boys to a paedophile gang has died in prison.

Derek Marshall formerly of North Shields was convicted of arranging the commission of child sex offences at Newcastle Crown Court in May last year.

He was sentenced to five years at HMP Whatton in Nottingham.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice today confirmed that Marshall had died of natural causes while still serving time.

The News & Star understands he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Marshall, who was 52 when he last appeared in court, lived in Melbourne Road, Carlisle.

He had provided victims for two convicted perverts, one from Middlesbrough and the other from Kent, the court was told.

The boys he introduced to the paedophiles were aged between 13 and 15. Some of them had learning difficulties.

Marshall acted as a ‘fixer’ after first gaining the confidence of the boys.

He even convinced their parents to allow them to be taken for ‘holidays’ in England and abroad.

The sexual abuse of the boys took place during a series of sickening attacks which happened in Northumbria, Kent, London, Hartlepool and Spain between 1998 and 2006.

Marshall was described to the court as a heavy drinker who had been motivated by rewards offered by the paedophiles – free holidays and help with bills.

Although he eventually pleaded guilty to the offences, he had initially refused to co-operate with police, claiming he did not know the full identity of the men he had helped.