Aristocrat Constance Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, who stand accused of causing the death of their newborn baby, Victoria, allegedly trashed a holiday cottage during their time on the run, a court heard today. The couple is accused of causing Victoria’s death by living in a tent “off the grid” during the winter to avoid social services taking custody of the child.
The tragic case took a dark turn when the baby’s placenta was discovered in a burnt-out car on a Manchester motorway, leading to a large-scale police search as the couple crisscrossed the UK while evading capture.
Marten and Gordon spent nearly two months living in a blue tent in the bitterly cold South Downs near Brighton before Victoria, dressed only in a onesie, allegedly froze to death. Her lifeless body was later found in a Lidl ‘bag for life,’ where prosecutors allege she spent most of her short life. However, Marten and Gordon maintain that they kept her “warm, dry, and well-nourished” before her sudden demise.
The court heard that the couple met in 2016 and had four children in quick succession. All their children were reportedly taken into care after Marten pretended to be a traveller using a fake Irish accent during the birth of her first child.
Marten and Gordon deny the charges of manslaughter by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16, and perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body and causing or allowing the death of a child.
Today, the owner of a Northumbrian holiday cottage testified that Marten and Gordon had left the property in a deplorable condition during their stay over Christmas 2022. The court heard that wine stains were found on a quilt, urine on the bathroom floor, and cat litter on the living room chairs, among other damages.
The prosecution argues that the couple deliberately concealed the birth of their child, not registering it as required by law, and did not seek any antenatal or post-natal medical care. They also allege that the couple disposed of Victoria’s body in a location where it was unlikely to be found.
The trial will continue, with the defence asserting that there was no intention to pervert the course of justice and that Marten desired a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of Victoria’s death. Eminent pathologists have concluded that the cause of death remains unascertained, with no signs of violence or external injuries found.
The court will weigh the evidence and determine the verdict based on the testimonies and expert opinions presented throughout the trial.
