Taxi driver hatched sinister plot after picking up fare from Liverpool gighttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... t-30519444A taxi driver who ran his own "one stop shop" for drugs preyed upon a drunken fare by stealing his mobile phone and using it to buy televisions, a pair of Adidas trainers and a McDonald's. Edward Marshman turned to dealing from "dusk till dawn" after building up debts from using cocaine in order to stay awake during his late night shifts.
He has now been locked up for the second time this year, having callously seized upon an opportunity to charge an intoxicated customer who was making his way home from a gig at O2 Academy Liverpool twice for the £50 ride before brazenly making off with his iPhone. The convicted drug dealer then used the victim's Apple Pay app to embark upon a spending spree totalling more than £1,500.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that the 49-year-old, of Pirrie Road in Walton, was caught behind the wheel of a Nissan car on July 14 last year while disqualified from driving. After his vehicle was seized as a result, he attended an impound in order to collect items which had been left inside.
But Kevin Liston, prosecuting, described how the police located a stash of drugs hidden within the centre console before Marshman was able to retrieve his possession. This included around 11g of high purity cocaine, an ounce of ecstasy, 13.9g of ketamine, four tablets of the hallucinogenic class A drug 2CB, a bottle containing 50ml of class B substance GBL and 9.5g of cutting agent benzocaine.
The haul was said to have been worth more than £4,000. Marshman was then pulled over once more by officers on August 19 2023, being arrested following a struggle and found in possession of a further 3.4g of cocaine and 15g of ketamine - substances valued at a combined £980.
When his phone was subsequently analysed, it was found to contain a string of flare messages advertising his illicit wares for sale to customers. Examples of these texts which were read to the court included "get on us, dusk till dawn" and "flake 24/7".
Marshman has 18 previous convictions for 46 offences. This includes a 58-week imprisonment for fraud imposed by the same court in April this year.
The ECHO reported at the time that Andrew Gibson had attended a concert at the academy on December 1 2022, when indie band the Reytons played the the city centre venue, but was described as being "very intoxicated". He left to go to bathroom four songs into the set, with the "next thing he was aware of" was being driven home by Marshman in his taxi.
Sarah Gruffydd, appearing for the prosecution on this occasion, detailed how he paid the £50 fare using Apple Pay on his mobile upon arrival at his home on Mill Lane in St Helens. But the defendant "told him that the transaction had not gone through and asked him to pass him his phone".
When Mr Gibson did so, Marshman "shouted at him to get out of his taxi" and drove off with the device still in his possession. The victim then awoke the following morning and "realised what had happened".
In the meantime, the thief had used his phone to make 13 separate fraudulent transactions totalling £1,568. These included a second £50 fee for the journey, a purchase from Tesco, two Polaroid TVs, a pair of Adidas trainers, a Ninja blender, a pair of headphones, alcohol and food from McDonald's.
But the taxi fare had been paid into an account in Marshman's name, while the 49-year-old was also caught on CCTV buying the goods. When police officers attended his home on February 10 last year, they discovered the televisions, trainers and blender as well as two bags of cannabis and a quantity of cocaine.
Under interview, he gave a prepared statement claiming that the TVs were "not linked to the offence" and said the white powder was "not class A drugs". Marshman also fell to be sentenced for an incident on February 16 this year, when he was stopped by police patrols while cycling on Hazelhurst Road in Walton and found in possession of a further amount of cocaine inside a man bag.
Kate Morley, defending, told the court during his latest appearance: "Mr Marshman did not particularly develop a problem with drugs until his 40s. He has shown an ability to lead what would be considered to be a normal life. There are gaps in his offending.
"In 2015, drugs became a problem for Mr Marshman. He was working as a taxi driver, struggling to make a living. He was using cocaine to stay awake in unsociable hours. He built up a debt because his use was out of control. Pressure was put on him to satisfy the debt, and he succumbed to supplying.
"Mr Marshman has some mental health difficulties and has a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar disorder. His last prison sentence has left a lasting impact on him. There has not been any repeat offending with drugs in the last 16 months.
"Following his release, Mr Marshman took the decision to change his life. He has not used any drugs in the last six months. He is currently working with his father, delivering food to food hubs in need.
"His life has dramatically changed since his commission of these offences. It would be a great shame for Mr Marshman to go back to custody and undo all of that work. There was no lavish lifestyle in this case. What he was doing was satisfying his huge addiction to cocaine."
Marshman admitted possession of class A and B drugs with intent to supply. He was jailed for four years and 10 months on Wednesday. Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: "It seems as if you had a one stop shop for class A and class B drugs.
"Drug dealing is an evil trade, particularly class A drugs. They wreck lives, families and communities. Class B drugs cause psychotic damage to individuals.
"You say you were using cocaine to sustain an unhealthy working pattern while working as a taxi driver. You say you were pressured to take risks on behalf of criminals. You have shown a disregard for the law and standards of decency."
Login
Register
FAQ
