Preston Landon Marshall, the grandson of the late Texan billionaire, J. Howard Marshall, has been found not guilty of head-butting and slapping his estranged wife by a jury in Houston.
The younger Marshall took the stand in a three-day criminal trial, where he denied head-butting and slapping 43-year-old Anastasia Marshall during the domestic fight on May 12, 2017, but conceded he bit her on her face.
As reported in the Houston Chronicle, the jury heard from Marshall, who said he bit his wife 'in self-defense because she was biting him during a struggle.'
Preston Landon Marshall was found not guilty of head-butting and slapping his estranged wife by a jury in Houston
'She bit my hand,' the 45-year-old told jurors in his trial on misdemeanor assault charges. 'I reacted and bit her on the jaw.'
Marshall is an executive with Rusk Capital Management.
He is the grandson of the late Houston business tycoon, J. Howard Marshall.
The elder Marshall gained notoriety for his marriage to 26-year-old Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith when he was 89.
Preston Landon Marshall is no stranger to legal wranglings after he was involved in the extended lawsuits surrounding his grandfather's estate.
J. Howard Marshall died in 1994 at 89, 14 months after he married Smith, sparking a contentious law battle over his billion dollar inheritance. Marshall senior hadn't included Smith in his will but she went on to challenge the will for the next decade.
Smith remained involved in a legal fight over her dead husband's estate up until her own death on Feb 8, 2007. She died from overdose at the age of 39 at the Hard Rock near Hollywood, Florida.
Preston Landon Marshall's criminal trial took place over three days.
The court heard from Robert Scardino, a member of Marshall's defense team, how Marshall and his wife were involved in a late-night altercation when Anastasia Marshall fell on to their bed and he fell on top of her, hitting her forehead with his forehead.
Marshall is the grandson of the late Houston business tycoon, J. Howard Marshall who gained notoriety for his marriage to 26-year-old Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith
Defense lawyers for Marshall told the jury that his wife, a Russian-born immigrant, provoked a fight to get leverage in a divorce.
'She wants things, and she knows how to go about getting them and she's good at it,' Scardino said. 'From Mother Russia to a multi-millionairess.'
Prosecutors argued that Marshall came home drunk on May 12 and turned an argument into a physical fight.
Marshall testified he had been drinking but said he was not intoxicated when he got home from a dinner at the Petroleum Club, a private social club, in Houston.
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ShareHe told the court how he'd come home around midnight and tried to say good night to his two sleeping daughters. It was a school night, he said, and his wife got upset.
They started pushing and shoving each other and ended up falling against the bed, hitting both of their heads. Marshall said his wife bit him on the hand and he bit her on the face.
Preston Landon Marshall is no stranger to legal wranglings after he was involved in the extended lawsuits surrounding his grandfather's estate
Marshall said he 'accidentally' head-butted his wife, the fighting stopped, and the couple had resolved to go to counseling, he testified.
The altercation took place on a Thursday, by the Monday morning, Anastasia Marshall had filed for divorce, which is pending.
Marshall declined to comment following the verdict.
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