Sponsored by
'Pleasant man' recovering from torture ordeal
A family man who was tied up and tortured in a two-hour ordeal in his home was today recovering in hospital.
Jason Marshall, 35, was beaten, tied up and stabbed by two men who forced their way into his Preston home.
Police said Mr Marshall, described as a "pleasant, quiet man" by friends and neighbours, was lucky to be alive.
The horrific attack happened just 15 minutes after two children witnessed an horrific taser attack at their home in Ingol. The two incidents are not linked.
In the torture incident, the attackers tied up Mr Marshall and held him in the bathroom of his 198,000 detached home on Royal Drive, Preston, from around 8pm to 10pm.
They beat him and stabbed him in the neck three times. One of the blows caused a two-inch deep wound. The two thugs then took him to an en suite bathroom, still bound up, slit his throat and left him for dead.
The pair, who struck at around 8pm on Wednesday, fled with keys and a cash card. Mr Marshall, who works for a company in Leyland, struggled free after several hours and alerted neighbours who phoned an ambulance.
He is stable in the Royal Preston Hospital after undergoing surgery for the wounds on Thursday.
His friend Darren White, landlord of the nearby Cattle Market pub, said: "Jason is a really nice quiet lad. He comes in here most nights to play pool with me and has a couple of pints.
"I only saw him here on Monday night, when he came in to watch the PNE v Newcastle match with me. He has come in more since separating from his wife.
"Jason has a young son who he dotes on and always talks about, and his wife had two other daughters who lived with them."
Mechanic John Hodgson, who fixes Mr Marshall's car at Eldon Street Garage, added: "I can't believe this has happened to someone like Jason. He is quiet and never causes any trouble."
The four-bedroomed property is currently up for sale. On Thursday, a uniformed officer stood guard outside the house while the forensics team visited the scene.
Neighbourhood officers dropped leaflets through residents' doors.
A 30-year-old neighbour who did not wish to be named, said: "I have not seen much of the family recently but we used to see their little boy riding up and down on his bike.
"It is absolutely awful. It's a shock this has happened on our doorstep.
"My husband saw the police the night it happened and he had walked past the house at about 7.30pm but had never heard a thing."
A 35-year-old woman who lives close to Mr Marshall added: "I felt sick when I found out. He has lived here since these properties were built four years ago. We see the kids coming and going a lot. He is a nice bloke, he goes to work every day and keeps himself to himself. It is so quiet around here."
Detectives who are treating the incident as attempted murder, are continuing to quiz a 41-year-old man.
Det Insp Dave McKenna said: "We are still appealing for information. We have made house to house inquiries and are continuing to question somebody.
"This was not a random attack and people in the community should not be fearful.This was a serious sustained attack which could have had fatal consequences."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 0845 1 25 35 45 or speak to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
>> Vote in our latest web poll
LEP Clocks: Countdown – and countup to future and past events
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
