A harrowing court hearing today revealed that Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s newborn baby, Victoria, was found without clothes while the couple was on the run, despite freezing winter temperatures. The couple allegedly evaded authorities and travelled extensively across the country following the birth of their child.
Constance Marten, 36, and her partner, Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of gross negligence manslaughter regarding the tragic death of their infant daughter, Victoria, who was born on December 24, 2022. The Old Bailey heard that their actions were driven by a “selfish” desire to keep the baby, following the removal of their previous four children into care.
The couple was apprehended in East Sussex on February 27, 2023, while their daughter’s lifeless body was discovered on March 1, concealed in a Lidl bag amid rubbish inside an abandoned shed. They have both denied the charges related to the baby’s death between January 4 and February 27.
During today’s proceedings, jurors learned about a missing persons inquiry initiated on January 5 after a Peugeot that the defendants allegedly used caught fire on a motorway near Bolton, Greater Manchester. Inside the burnt-out vehicle on the M61, authorities discovered a placenta and items belonging to Marten. Witnesses also reported seeing a woman climbing over the motorway barrier.
A resident who gave the couple a ride into Bolton town centre on that fateful evening described seeing the baby wrapped in a blanket. CCTV footage presented in court showed the couple entering the Bolton bus interchange with the baby allegedly hidden under Marten’s coat.
Following the incident in Bolton, the couple embarked on a journey that led them to Liverpool, then Harwich, Essex, all while carrying their baby. Taxi driver Ali Yaryar recounted their encounter, stating that he noticed the baby inside the woman’s jacket, dressed only in a nappy. Yaryar offered the use of a car seat for the child, which was declined, with the woman explaining that the baby was “too small.”
As the journey continued, the couple reportedly argued, with the woman expressing that “he’s not very helpful.” Yaryar recalled that it was a cold night, and the man struggled to calm the crying baby.
The court previously heard that Constance Marten received substantial payments from family trust funds in December 2022 and January 2023, just before and after the baby’s birth.
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon face multiple charges, including perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and causing or allowing the death of a child.
The trial continues as more details surrounding the tragic events are unveiled.
