A couple arrested following a nationwide police search has been sentenced for the death of their newborn baby, england/wales/victoria/”>victoria-england/”>Victoria.
mark-scotland/”>Mark Gordon, 51, and Constance Marten, 38, both of no fixed address, lived in a tent under freezing conditions with their baby. The court heard they went on the run to evade authorities after their previous four children were taken into care.
Following their disappearance, police launched a missing person’s investigation, ultimately leading to the couple’s erratic travels across the country. They paid a taxi driver £350 to take them from Liverpool to Harwich, Essex, possibly attempting to leave the country by boat.
On 8 January, they were spotted in Newhaven, East Sussex, before being seen living in a tent at Stanmer Park Nature Reserve near Brighton. After more than a month, they were recognised and arrested on 27 February.
Discovery of Baby Victoria
Despite extensive searches, baby Victoria was not found until 1 March 2023, when her body was located inside a carrier bag at an allotment. Pathologists could not determine the cause of death, and Marten claimed Victoria had died while they were sleeping.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford remarked, “Victoria’s death was completely avoidable. The couple had plenty of opportunities to do the right thing and ask for help.” He expressed gratitude to the media and public for their assistance during the investigation.
