Hollywood actress Zara Phythian told police, “I am not a paedophile or a rapist” after hours of questioning by detectives over sex crime allegations. During four interviews with police about the claims of a teenage girl, now an adult, she repeatedly denied being involved in any sexual activity with the youngster and her husband, Victor Marke.

The Doctor Strange star sat beside her 59-year-old husband, an experienced martial arts instructor, in the dock as the jury heard transcripts of her interviews with detectives after her arrest. The jury also heard more about intimate topics concerning Zara – including a tattoo of her husband’s name in Chinese calligraphy in an intimate area – and about her sex toy collection which included nipple tassels.

Police reviewed a huge number of electronic devices and media, with quite a lot of people innocently doing martial arts, which could have been viewed as a training aid. But other videos were personal and intimate, and involved Zara, who uses her martial surname of Marke, Victor Marke and other men in sexual encounters.

Read more: Husband of Doctor Strange actress brands alleged sex crime victim ‘evil’ and ‘manipulative’

Police put to Zara Marke that the victim alleged her husband had recorded her and the girl performing sex acts on each other but fourth dan black belt, Zara, told him: “It’s not true. It’s ********”.

She finished by saying: “I am not a paedophile or a rapist nor is Victor. I just feel sick right now and angry”.

The Nottingham Crown Court trial, which began last Tuesday, April 26, has heard the alleged victim at the centre of sexual activity had told police things began when Zara Marke, 36, of Taurus Close, Mansfield, asked her if she would play a game of “dare”.

She had described Zara Marke giving Victor Marke oral sex and getting the child to join in and copy what Zara was doing. The girl had tried to mimic what Zara had done, then described how Victor Marke had vaginal sex with both of them. The girl had recalled Zara’s tattoo, which she had later described in her police interview.

The couple had told the child, who has claimed the sexual activity happened repeatedly, not to say anything. What happened allegedly progressed to Victor Marke being involved in sex acts on her. The girl alleged it felt like Zara was coaching her to get better at the sexual activity.

She thought it was about 20 times Victor Marke had sex with her on different occasions.

Victor Marke, of Mavis Avenue, Ravenshead, was later to speak of the alleged victim to detectives in unflattering terms, branding her manipulative and evil. He told officers he had not had sex with her illegally or without consent – she was 18 years old. When asked if his wife, Zara, knew about it, he told detectives, “I can’t comment on that”.

The Markes are jointly charged with 14 denied allegations of sexual activity with the same child. Victor Marke faces four further allegations, all denied and being heard at the trial, of historic indecent assault on another teenage girl.

The trial continues