This is the shocking moment a father desperately tried to escape from his killer who he had met to buy drugs from.
Gregory Marshall, 35, was found collapsed and died in an alleyway in York after he was stabbed in the neck and chest.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Ian James Franklin had stabbed Marshall over a disagreement involving a debt of £1,000 owed to a third man, Jason Daniel Rhodes.
The court heard how Franklin and his partner owed the money Rhodes, which had been outstanding for nearly a year.
On August 17, 2024, Marshall and Rhodes visited Franklin’s home in order to buy drugs from him.
Rhodes arrived armed with a multi-tool with an axe head in his pocket and a fight broke out between the group on the street.
Marshall and Rhodes left the area before returning with the brawl continuing with Franklin stabbing Marshall in the neck and chest.
The court heard how Marshall ran from the scene, followed by Rhodes while Franklin chased both men.
Franklin then stabbed Rhodes, injuring him in the shoulder.
CCTV shows Marshall collapsing shortly after the fight in a nearby alleyway. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.
Gregory Marshall, 35, was found collapsed and died in an alleyway in York after he was stabbed in the neck and chest
Leeds Crown Court heard that Ian James Franklin had stabbed Marshall over a disagreement involving a debt of £1,000 owed to a third man, Jason Daniel Rhodes
The court heard how Marshall ran from the scene, followed by Rhodes while Franklin chased both men
Franklin fled the scene, but was arrested 16 hours later on suspicion of murder.
Rhodes was also arrested, as he was armed with a multi-tool with an axe head in his pocket when the altercation took place.
Following an eight-week trial, Franklin was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday, April 14.
Rhodes was sentenced to 55 weeks behind bars.
In a victim impact statement that was read in court, Mr Mashall’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.
‘Greg was the sort of person that if you met him once, you wouldn’t be a friend just for the weekend, it would be the rest of your life.’
She added: ‘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.’
Ian James Franklin was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years
In a further statement that was read in court, his mother said: ‘Greg was a very supportive son and a family man. He had a kind heart and would help anybody when they needed it. He had a lot of goals in life which he achieved, and we were very proud of him.’
Addressing Franklin directly she said: ‘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 Greg Marshall.’
North Yorkshire Police’s detective sergeant Rebecca Prentice said: ‘This has been a very complex investigation, with many challenges in understanding the motives and circumstances that led to Mr Marshall’s tragic death.
‘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.’
