Leeds man denies urinating on war memorial

A man caught urinating on a war memorial swore at a church verger and sneered "they are all dead anyway", a court heard today. Ian Marshall, 49, was clinging to railings around the memorial cross in Leeds while he relieved himself near poppy wreaths placed on Remembrance Sunday, Leeds magistrates heard. The incident happened soon after huge publicity over a case in Sheffield where a drunken student was filmed urinating on wreaths after a pub crawl. When the verger reminded Marshall of this, he was met with a barrage of swear words, according to prosecutor Lisa Carlton. Marshall has admitted outraging public decency but denies actually urinating on the memorial or making the insulting comments alleged. Carlton said Marshall, a father of one who lives in Yeadon, on the outskirts of Leeds, had been seen by the verger and a passerby at the memorial in Otley Road. She said: "He had climbed steps leading to the memorial and, holding on to the railings, urinated on the memorial through to where the wreaths were clearly on display. She said that when he was approached by the verger, the defendant allegedly became aggressive and began shouting obscenities. When the verger reminded him of the recent Sheffield case, he allegedly responded: 'Fuck off, they are all dead anyway. There is no one under there.' Marshall's solicitor, Abbi Whelan, said that Marshall did not accept the prosecution's version of events. "The comments made are definitely disputed. Mr Marshall is adamant he did not make any of these comments," she said. The case was adjourned until 6 April at Leeds magistrates' court. Last year student Philip Laing, 19, was photographed urinating on poppy wreaths during a mass student bar crawl in Sheffield city centre. He was given 250 hours' community service after a judge acknowledged his remorse and the punishment already meted out by the "wrath and indignation of the public".