Constance Marten, 37, a wealthy aristocrat, and her sex offender partner, Mark Gordon, 49, have been found guilty of concealing the birth of their baby and perverting the course of justice. The verdict was delivered by a jury at the Old Bailey following a harrowing trial that shed light on the couple’s desperate attempt to evade authorities and the tragic death of their newborn daughter.
The couple went off-grid in Sussex last January in an attempt to keep their newborn child hidden from the authorities. Their flight from the law culminated in their arrest in Brighton on February 27, 2023. Two days later, their daughter Victoria’s decomposed body was discovered inside a Lidl bag in a disused allotment shed, a revelation that shocked the local community and the nation.
Police search teams meticulously combed the Roedale Valley Allotments in Brighton, where the child’s remains were eventually found. Despite extensive forensic examination, the cause of Victoria’s death could not be definitively established. Marten testified that she awoke to find her daughter unresponsive inside her jacket, a poignant detail that highlighted the tragedy at the heart of the case.
Throughout the trial, both Marten and Gordon, who had no fixed address, denied all charges against them. However, the jury found them guilty of perverting the course of justice and concealing the birth of a child, crimes that carry significant legal and moral weight.
The case has drawn considerable media attention, not only due to the dramatic circumstances of the couple’s flight but also because of Marten’s aristocratic background, which contrasts starkly with the desperate and tragic nature of their actions.
As the legal proceedings conclude, the focus now shifts to the sentencing phase, where the court will determine the appropriate penalties for Marten and Gordon’s actions.
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