Man jailed over fatal drug-debt garden dispute

A man who fatally stabbed another man 13 times with a kitchen knife during a dispute over a £1,000 drug debt has been jailed for life.

Father-of-five Ian Franklin, 33, had earlier been found guilty of the murder of Greg Marshall, 35, who suffered fatal wounds to his neck, chest and abdomen during an altercation on the Bell Farm estate in York in August.

During an eight-week trial, Leeds Crown Court had heard that Mr Marshall had run away from the scene of the attack on Roche Avenue, chased by Franklin, but collapsed and died in an alleyway a short time later.

At the same court on Monday, Franklin was told he would serve a minimum term of 21 years in prison.

The court heard the incident happened in Franklin's front garden at about 04:45 BST on 17 August, after Mr Marshall and another man, Jason Rhodes, confronted Franklin about the £1,000 drug debt owed to Rhodes.

Prosecutor Rupert Doswell KC said Mr Marshall, who was due to go on honeymoon three weeks later, was unarmed when he was stabbed after punching Franklin's partner to the ground, breaking her cheekbone.

Franklin then chased Mr Marshall and Rhodes up the street, stabbing Mr Marshall repeatedly and puncturing both his lungs and his heart.

Franklin then fled the scene, but was arrested 16 hours later.

Rhodes, 33, of no fixed abode, previously admitted possessing a knife and was found not guilty of a second count of the same charge following the trial.

He was jailed for 55 weeks when the trial ended on 2 April.

Before Franklin was sentenced on Monday, both Mr Marshall's mother and wife read out victim statements in court.

Elizabeth Wilson, Mr Marshall's mother, said her son "had a lot of goals in life which he achieved and I'm very proud of him".

She said her son had served in the Royal Dragoon Guards and "was at a very happy place in his life".

"He had a kind heart and would help anybody when they needed it," she added.

Addressing Franklin directly, she told him: "Ian Franklin, the sentence you are given today means nothing to us as a family.

"We as a family have the rest of our lives to live with the devastation and trauma from when you took it upon yourself to murder my son."

Ms Wilson also told the court that a few months after Mr Marshall's death, his 28-year-old brother Roy took his own life because he "couldn't come to terms with Greg's death".

"We have to live with this for the rest of our lives in pain, devastation and trauma." she said.

In her statement, Mr Marshall's wife said: "Greg was very thoughtful and caring, very loving and funny. He had the loudest voice, but the most infectious of laughs. He would just smile."

She told Franklin: "Since my husband has passed, it has ripped the family apart. There is no security anymore, no feeling safe. I feel empty, lost. I feel like I have been robbed.

"He was my partner, he was my friend, he was my husband and soulmate. I adored him, I would do anything for him. He would do the same for me."

Jailing Franklin, Judge Robin Mairs said Mr Marshall had been "a devoted father to two children and three step-children".

Mr Marshall's mother and wife had read their victim impact statements "with dignity and courage," he said.

"The grief fills their days and haunts their sleep."

Judge Mairs added: "The true effect of his loss on all of his children can only be guessed. He left a void which will never be filled."

Following the sentencing, Det Sgt Rebecca Prentice, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "Justice has been served with today's verdict and our thoughts remain with Mr Marshall's family and loved ones.

"This was a brutal and senseless crime, and I hope the outcome provides some measure of closer closure for those affected."

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