MARK FRIZZELL'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN PORT GLASGOW REVEALED IN COURT

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Port Glasgow, Mark Frizzell was found guilty of inflicting prolonged physical and psychological abuse on two young sisters over a period of seven years. The disturbing details emerged during a trial held at Greenock Sheriff Court, where the victims bravely recounted the torment they endured at the hands of Frizzell, who was 45 years old at the time of the proceedings.

According to the testimonies, Frizzell subjected the girls to a series of brutal acts, including unprovoked violence and degrading humiliation. One of the most alarming incidents involved him urinating on the child's bed while she was lying in it, an act intended to falsely accuse her of wetting the sheets. This was part of a pattern of cruelty that included physical assaults so severe that the girl cried out in pain. Frizzell also forced the children to spit into their mother’s tea, further demonstrating his malicious intent.

The court heard that Frizzell’s violence extended to choking one of the girls to the point where her life was in danger. She described her desperate efforts to free herself, saying, “I was using my hands to try to get his hand off me and I was kicking my legs to try to get him away. I didn’t think he was going to stop. I thought he was going to kill me.”

Frizzell’s criminal activities were not limited to physical abuse. The court revealed that he took the girls to drug dens within Port Glasgow, where they were forced to witness him and his friends smoking heroin. The victims, now aged 18 and 19, broke down in tears as they recounted these traumatic experiences behind screens in court. They described being made to fight each other physically, with Frizzell threatening to beat them more severely if they refused to engage in violent altercations involving punching and pulling hair.

The older sister detailed the extent of her suffering, stating, “He would come in and pee on my bed while I was in it. He would do it around my private bits so that it would look like I’d done it. In the morning he’d ask my mum to come in and they’d both give me into trouble. He would slap my bottom — he’d make me pull down my pyjamas and he’d slap me.”

Further disturbing revelations included Frizzell’s involvement in drug-related activities. The court heard that he took the girls along when purchasing heroin and instructed them to hide drug wraps in their clothing, such as in their pants and sports bras, to avoid detection during police searches. The younger sister described the environment at these drug dens, saying, “He took us to drug dealers’ houses, or would take us to another house and he’d smoke it with his friends. We were sitting with people we didn’t know. It was very uncomfortable. All we could do was sit and watch. He’d be slouched over falling asleep, almost falling over.”

The second sister, now 19, added, “We were made to batter each other — full-on punching and pulling hair.” She tearfully explained the fear she felt, saying, “It was scary because I didn’t want to hit my sister. He put me in a position where I had to hit my own family or be hit by him.” She also recounted the disturbing act of spitting in her mother’s tea, which Frizzell forced her to do, and how he spat on her when she refused. She admitted that she suppresses much of the trauma, saying, “Still to this day my mum doesn’t know much. There’s only so much I can talk to her about. I put it to the back of my mind so much that I don’t want to recall it, so I pretend that it didn’t happen.”

During the trial, Frizzell, who resides on Moidart Road in Port Glasgow, chose not to give evidence. The jury, composed of eight men and seven women, convicted him on three charges. However, a charge alleging that he forced one of the girls, at the age of six, to touch his private parts was not proven by majority verdict. Similarly, a charge that he applied cream or oil to her sister’s bare bottom was also not established.

Sentencing was deferred until February 23 to allow for a background report, and Frizzell was remanded in custody. Sheriff Derek Hamilton emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “There is no getting away from the fact that you have been found guilty by a jury of very significant offences. In those circumstances, I have little option but to revoke your bail.” The sheriff also indicated that he would consider the possibility of a ‘significant sexual aspect’ to Frizzell’s offending when the case resumes, after consulting with the prosecutor and defense counsel.