- Infant carried in bag
- Parents face manslaughter charges
- Living conditions deemed hazardous
A court heard that a baby, whose remains were discovered in a shed, was carried for the majority of her life in a Lidl “bag for life” while her parents resided “off-grid.”
Constance Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial for the manslaughter of newborn Victoria, whose remains were discovered in March 2023 following a weeks-long search for the family.
Prosecutors stated that the infant would still be alive if not for the defendants’ “reckless” conduct. Both parties refute the allegations.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC informed the jury, while outlining the case against the defendants, that the couple had four other children in the past, all of whom had been placed in care following extensive social services intervention.
He stated that to prevent social services from removing their newborn, the couple “essentially went off-grid” and lived outside while also hiding their pregnancy from family and the health service.
The Old Bailey was informed that the exact date of the baby’s birth was unknown to all but the defendants; however, the prosecution contended that her due date appeared to be after December 28, 2022.
The family’s allegedly traveling vehicle was located on fire on a Greater Manchester road on January 5. Upon inspection, a placenta that was encased in cloth was discovered within.
After the couple departed before the arrival of police, a high-risk missing persons investigation was initiated.
Living Conditions and Prosecution Details
Mr. Little KC informed the jury two days later that they abandoned a pram in London and that ‘the infant was transferred and carried in a Lidl ‘bag for life,’ where it appears it spent the majority of its life before its death.
The couple, according to testimony presented to the jury, shared a tent with their infant in “obviously hazardous and subzero conditions,” which prosecutors claim ultimately resulted in the infant’s demise.
Mr. Little KC testified before the jury that Ms. Marten and Mr. Gordon spent hundreds of pounds on taxi rides while they were classified as missing persons, as opposed to saving the money for a “roof over their heads, warmth, and safety.”
According to him, the couple had been “living rough for over a month” by the middle of February 2023, living in conditions that were sometimes “freezing cold, windy, and wet” and scavenging food from trash cans.
Ms. Marten, who was absent from court to witness the prosecution’s opening, was not said to have had a “deprived upbringing” and “potential access to the funds and whatever assistance she required,” according to the jury.
Although Victoria was last seen on February 19, the infant was not in the custody of Ms. Marten and Mr. Gordon at the time of their arrest on February 27. Upon their apprehension by the officers, Ms. Marten was encased in what appeared to be furniture filling, while Mr. Gordon was honored to be still donning a Christmas jumper.
Prosecutors claim that on March 1, infant Victoria’s body was discovered in a shed in Brighton inside the same Lidl bag she had been observed being transported in, which was filthy.
Pathologists have not determined the cause of death.
After the corpse was discovered, Ms. Marten provided contradictory dates for Victoria’s death in a police interview. However, she stated that she had fallen asleep while holding the infant in her jacket while sitting up and awoke to find her deceased.
She explained to officers that she retained the body to arrange for an autopsy, further stating, “I have been transporting her around in a state of uncertainty.”
Ms. Marten further disclosed to the police that she and Mr. Gordon had intended to purchase a flat in London but were apprehended en route.
She stated, “To prevent the services from rescuing [the infant], we would likely have to isolate ourselves from society until we could secure housing.”
Mr. Gordon told police that their predicament “quitt rapidly diminished” following the ignition of their vehicle containing personal belongings.
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The prosecution disputes Ms. Marten’s statements in an interview in which she claimed they contemplated turning themselves in and insisted the infant was adequately attired to survive outdoors.
Mr. Little KC stated that the couple had prioritized their personal life and relationship over the safety of the infant, adding that Victoria “would have survived… had it not been for the utterly reckless, self-centered, callous, cruel, conceited, and ultimately egregious negligence of these two defendants.”
Between January 4 and February 27, 2023, Ms. Marten and Mr. Gordon are charged with manslaughter by egregious negligence about their infant.
The couple is additionally charged with four additional offenses, including cruelty to their infant, concealing the birth of the infant, causing or permitting her death, and obstructing the administration of justice by suppressing the body.
