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TV star took model on `ride of terror'
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Saturday 8th Apr 2000.
TOP television actor Jack Marsden was behind bars today after taking his former girlfriend, Bolton model Ruth Higham, on a ride of terror.
Marsden, immaculately dressed in a dark pin stripe suit, visibly paled when he was jailed for three months by Bolton magistrates.
He was handcuffed and led down to the cells clutching a copy of FHM magazine which featured a picture of model Ruth topless with other half-naked girls.
Magistrates also banned him from driving for three years. An appeal against sentence was immediately lodged but an application for bail until the appeal was heard was refused by magistrates.
Marsden's downfall came after he persuaded his ex-girlfriend to talk to meet him to see if they could get back together. Even though he was disqualified from driving he picked her up in a car from her home.
But when she said there was no future in their relationship he lost his temper and refused to let her out of the car, then drove wildly around a residential area before smashing into a garden wall at 70mph near Ruth's Harwood home.
Marsden, aged 36, of Corporation Street in Manchester -- who has signed a contract to star again in the BBC 2 TV series Cops, set in and around Bolton -- appeared at Bolton Magistrates Court to face sentence on five serious driving charges.
Marsden had previously been found guilty of driving while disqualified, using a vehicle without insurance, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident and dangerous driving. The court was told that while driving around the conversation between the couple became heated and his ex-girlfriend wanted to leave the car.
But Prosecutor Lauren Strang said Marsden refused to let her out and started driving the car wildly around residential streets at speeds of 60 and 70mph.
Miss Higham was hysterical and Marsden finally lost control and smashed into a garden wall leaving an 80ft skid mark. Later, when questioned by police he denied all knowledge of the incident saying he was on a train at the time of the offence and even denied that he was a banned driver.
But police tracked down his car to a garage and discovered it had been repaired after suffering crash damage and also found soil and brick dust in a tyre which had been changed.
Magistrates had ordered an all options, including custody, probation report to be prepared at the last hearing, which had to be adjourned because Marsden disputed his criminal record. The report had recommended probation.
Defence solicitor, Barry Cutter, said that the offences had occurred within 12 days of the end of the driving ban. He had received his licence back from the DVLA and thought he could drive legally. He said that Marsden had acted under a misapprehension.
Jailing him for a total of three months the chairman of the bench said: "These are very serious matters indeed. You have prevaricated in these proceedings. You have a bad driving record, you were a disqualified driver who left the scene and you showed a total disregard for any other road users or residents."
He was sentenced to three months for dangerous driving, two months concurrent for driving while disqualified, one month concurrent for failing to stop after an accident and one month concurrent for failing to report an accident.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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