In a tense and emotionally charged moment captured on police body-worn video, fugitive aristocrat Constance Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, were arrested on the streets of Brighton’s Hollingbury area on February 27, last year. The couple, who had allegedly been evading police while living off-grid with their newborn baby in a tent on the South Downs, became the focus of a high-profile manhunt after their disappearance made national headlines.
The Old Bailey trial, which is currently underway, heard how the duo had managed to stay under the radar until a vigilant member of the public spotted them, leading to their eventual capture by the police. The subsequent discovery of their baby, Victoria, in a Lidl supermarket bag concealed among rubbish in a disused shed on March 1, has added a tragic dimension to the case.
Police Sergeant Robert Button, one of the arresting officers, described the defendants as appearing “unclean and unwashed” and wearing makeshift insulation resembling “furniture stuffing.” The body-worn footage revealed the moment of their arrest, with officers inquiring repeatedly about the whereabouts of their child, a question that Marten did not respond to.
The couple’s odyssey began to unravel after Greater Manchester Police launched a missing persons inquiry in January last year, following the discovery of a placenta in their burnt-out car on a motorway near Bolton. Their subsequent movements, captured on CCTV, including attempts to break into Hollingbury Golf Course and steal food from a shop, painted a picture of desperation and evasion.
Eyewitness Dale Cooley’s account of his encounter with the couple and his swift action to alert the authorities underscores the critical role of public vigilance in such cases. The couple’s denial of the series of charges against them, including manslaughter by gross negligence of baby Victoria, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and causing or allowing the death of a child, has set the stage for a closely watched trial.
As the Old Bailey trial continues, the spotlight remains not only on the tragic fate of baby Victoria but also on the broader issues of mental health, homelessness, and the effectiveness of social safety nets. The Marten-Gordon case serves as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between personal crisis and public concern, challenging society to reflect on how it responds to those who fall through its cracks
