A British actress who starred in Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch and her husband are accussed of having sex with a 13-year-old girl after they groomed her. 

The girl, now an adult, says that Zara Phythian and Victor Marke filmed the abuse in a bid to recreate pornographic scenes.  

The abuse is claimed to have happened between 2005 and 2008 when the couple were martial arts instructors in Nottinghamshire. 

Jurors at Nottingham Crown Court also heard a police interview from the woman, who was aged between 13 and 15 at the time of the alleged abuse, describing the details of the sexual offences before the pair were married.  

Marke, 59, and Phythian, 36, – whose legal name is now Zara Marke – deny 14 charges of sexual activity with a child.

British actress Zara Phythian, right, who starred in Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch, left

A girl, now an adult, says that Zara Phythian (pictured) and Victor Marke filmed the abuse in a bid to recreate pornographic scenes

The court heard Phythian asked the girl if she wanted to play a game of ‘dare’ and gave her an alcoholic drink. 

She then gave her husband oral sex and asked the child to join in. 

The youngster copied what sports coach Phythian had been doing, the jury was told, before experienced martial arts instructor Marke allegedly had sex with both of them. 

The child alleged she did not know how to react but, it is alleged, this kind of sexual activity happened repeatedly, and they told her not to say anything. 

‘I knew it was wrong but I just didn’t know how to get out of the situation or say anything,’ she told police.

‘I remember trying to copy Zara’s reaction at the time because I looked up to her and tried to be like her in every way.’

The child also felt like she was being ‘coached’ by Phythian to get better at the sexual activity, the court was told. 

The abuse is claimed to have happened between 2005 and 2008 when the couple were martial arts instructors in Nottinghamshire before she was a Hollywood actress. Pictured: Ms Phythian also known as Ms Marke as Zealot in Doctor Strange with Mads Mikkelsen

She estimated Marke, a coach in martial arts and Taekwondo at a very high level, had sex with her about 20 times on different occasions.  

Phythian, who portrayed Brunette Zealot in the Marvel film, was ‘at the height of her success,’ said barrister, Francis McGrath, who is representing Marke, the film star’s husband. 

Mr McGrath made reference to Phythian’s climb to fame as he cross-examined the woman who has claimed Marke repeatedly indecently assaulted her as a teenager.

He said: ‘Throughout 2016, you would be aware from national media and social media posts, she (Zara Marke) was enjoying unprecedented personal and professional success in a motion picture starring Benedict Cumberbatch. 

‘On December 4, 2016, at the height of her success, you made a complaint’.

Victor and Zara Marke, both pictured, who are married, have gone on trial at Nottingham Crown Court accused of a series of serious sex crimes

This led to a police video recording of her allegations two days later. 

The woman told the court, ‘they are not linked’ – when it was suggested she went to police after ‘Zara Phythian’ – someone from her youth – was experiencing the unprecedented success referred to.

The woman had told police she was groomed and sexually touched by Marke of Ravenshead. After she turned 16, he is alleged to have had sex with her.

The victim said she decided it was the responsible thing to make a disclosure to police due to the job she was in. 

She told the court she was dealing with two safeguarding cases at work, ‘matters which were very tough to deal with and, me personally, was taking a toll on’. 

After she felt she could not cope with ‘not saying anything anymore’, she decided to say something. 

Marke faces four allegations, all denied, of historic indecent assault on another woman who was 15 at the time between 2002 and 2003. 

He is also jointly charged with his wife, Phythian, of 14 denied allegations of sexual activity with a different woman who was a girl at the time.

The trial continues.