Doug Marshall -
Expert Investigator and Coach with the highest ethical standards
Meet Doug Marshall
To contact Doug regarding investigations, coaching or non-executive opportunities please email doug@dougmarshallconsultancy.co.uk
Skills and Experience
Investigation
Doug served with Cumbria Constabulary for 37 years from 1986 to 2023 including a period of being seconded to Operation Hydrant (the UK response to the coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse). He was a career detective. He investigated the murder of Carol Park, the so called “Lady in the Lake” case being involved from the outset, two investigations, conviction and a number of appeals between 1997 and 2020. As Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) he was entrusted with some of Cumbria’s most high-profile cases including the family liaison response to the West Cumbria shootings, the Morecambe Bay Maternity scandal, Operation Tweed the investigation into non-recent child sexual and physical abuse in residential schools in South Cumbria with over 170 victims and 200 suspects, and more recently Operation Leaf the case of Eleanor Williams perverting the course of justice claiming she had been raped and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang and accusing a number of men of raping her. Doug is a trained reviewer and carried out peer reviews of investigations across the UK.
In his career - Doug received 4 Chief Constable’s Commendations, 3 Court Commendations and 8 other commendations including services to family liaison.
Private Investigation
Doug was Director of Hawk Detective Services between 2018 and 2024. During that period the company carried out numerous investigations for solicitors and private individuals. These services ranged from surveillance, tracing people, serving process documents, inspecting equipment, housing disputes including some long-term complex investigations. Doug personally investigated some complex employment investigations and carried out pro-bono reviews of some major investigations. He also helped a number of people who had mental illness or safeguarding issues to get to solutions without having to pay for them using his strong value set to recognise this.
Operatives utilised by the company were highly trained usually ex-Police Officers and in other cases professionals with the relevant skill set.
Coaching
Doug has a long-standing passion for adopting a coaching approach to life and has invested a lot of time and resource over many years training and attending courses and seminars including those of Dan Bradbury, Peter Thomson, Nick Asher and Sai Blackburn. He formerly ran a Business Mastermind Group in Barrow-in-Furness. He has also coached and mentored a number of colleagues throughout his career.
Combining two passions in life of coaching and helping people in traumatic circumstances Doug has devised a six-stage coaching programme which aims to support people who want to move forward from bereavement. His book “Moving Forward” is due to be published in autumn 2024. In it he recounts personal details of bereavements he has suffered and how he has moved forward from them whilst never forgetting the experiences.
Business
Despite having a full career, it hasn’t prevented Doug from being involved in a number of business ventures. He has previously sold books, films and music firstly at a retail premises in Ulverston, Cumbria then online. He was co-owner of Community Times Furness and later Community Times Ulverston was added to that portfolio. A glossy free publication delivered to thousands of local households. Doug was Chapter Director for Business Network International (BNI). He delivered a Business Mastermind Group where business owners met to improve their companies. Doug for a period carried out some football coaching work for the Lancashire FA and was a referee in local league football. He was Director of Hawk Detective Services from 2018 to 2024.
Youth Work
In 1995 Doug became an instructor at the South Cumbria Attendance Centre. This centre was attended by young people who had been sent there by the court for a set number of hours on conviction to address their offending behaviour. From 1999 to 2018 Doug was the Officer-in-Charge of the centre reporting to the Home Office and later to the Ministry of Justice. The centre was developed to accept females on court orders for the first time and later for young adults aged 17-21 years. The activities consisted of educational work to deter young people from offending and physical education, team work. It is estimated that around 1,500 young people attended the centre during the period Doug was there, many from extremely difficult backgrounds and many who have gone on to lead crime-free lives. Doug embraced and volunteered for a number of special projects and schemes to try and improve the lives of the young people, many who later approached him in the street and had memories of how well they were treated and respected at a difficult time of their lives.
Boards
Doug was Chairman of the Barrow Police Club and Chairman of one of the first female football teams in South Cumbria. He was a Governor then Chair of Governors at Victoria Junior School in Barrow-in-Furness, being involved in the appointment of a new Head Teacher and the subject of Ofsted Inspections. As Force Family Liaison Coordinator for Cumbria Constabulary and North West Regional Representative Doug was on the National Executive Board (NEB) for Family Liaison for a number of years. He later represented Cumbria Constabulary on Child and Adult Safeguarding Boards and was a MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) Chair. He was Chair or a member of a number of safeguarding groups including Domestic Violence.