A former Premier League and England Under-21 footballer has avoided a prison sentence after breaking into an antique shop and causing extensive damage during a drunken rampage. Ben Marshall, 35, who played for Stoke City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Blackburn Rovers, admitted burglary with intent to cause damage at Telford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that Marshall inflicted more than £7,000 worth of damage to Junk & Disorderly, an antique shop located on Upper Bar in Newport, Shropshire, following a night of heavy drinking on 4 February 2026. Prosecuting, Lucy Allen stated that Marshall left a pub and made his way to the shop, where he kicked a glass panel on the front door until it smashed, then crawled inside.
Once inside, Marshall deliberately damaged various items, including the door, CCTV cameras, an antique cash register, and numerous goods from the shelves. He also ripped the CCTV off the wall. The total damage, including loss of earnings for the two days the shop was closed, was valued at £7,450.
Court Sentencing
Marshall, of Stafford, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to cause damage and damaging property. He received a 12-month community order, which includes up to 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, six months of alcohol treatment, 120 hours of unpaid work, and an order to pay £1,500 in compensation.
During sentencing, chairman of the bench Steven Jonas described the attack as "particularly heinous" and noted that Marshall went "completely ballistic" and caused huge amounts of damage. Jonas accepted that Marshall was remorseful and that the incident occurred while he was drunk, but emphasised that alcohol was an aggravating factor, not a mitigating one.
Marshall's Background
Marshall's football career began in 2009 when Stoke City signed him. He later played for Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers before Wolves purchased him for £1.2 million in 2016, where he made 25 Championship appearances. He currently plays for Eccleshall FC, which competes in the North West Counties League, the tenth tier of English football.
The court was told that Marshall had struggled with alcohol and claimed he heard screaming from the property during the incident. His defence lawyer, John Skinner, stated that Marshall had "hit rock bottom" after losing his wealth through poor financial advice and turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Skinner added that after drinking at a local pub, Marshall initially thought he heard screams from the property and broke in, but had little explanation for his actions afterwards.
