Aristocrat and boyfriend ‘carried baby in Lidl bag before dumping like refuse’

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According to court proceedings, a rich aristocrat and her significant other braved freezing temperatures while transporting their infant in a Lidl bag. They went to great expense to avoid authorities by taking taxis to various regions.

According to the testimony given to jurors, Constance Marten, who is 36 years of age, and Mark Gordon, who is 49 years of age, decided to live a life of isolation by residing in a tent on the South Downs. During their time there, they neglected to provide their young daughter- named Victoria- with basic necessities such as food, shelter, and warmth, which ultimately led to her tragic passing.

In the beginning of the trial at the Old Bailey, the prosecutor named Tom Little KC explained how the couple's actions were careless, extremely self-centered, and heartless. They did this to prevent their fifth child from being placed in the care of others like their four older siblings. This led to the unnecessary and avoidable death of the young girl.

Marten stated that the baby passed away while sleeping in her jacket. She then kept the body in a shopping bag with the intention of giving her a decent burial. However, she did not manage to do so and the baby's remains were discovered in a discarded shed. The bag containing the infant's body was covered in trash, making it seem like garbage. The court learned these details during the trial.

According to Mr. Little, if the two defendants on trial had not acted recklessly, selfishly, and cruelly, the baby girl would still be alive. He also stated that their behavior was ultimately negligent.

The couple was responsible for the well-being of the infant girl, but instead prioritized their personal feelings and beliefs over the needs of their child.

During the trial, it was revealed that the couple kept Ms. Marten's pregnancy a secret from their loved ones and medical practitioners in 2022. They then fled in fear of having their baby taken away. The court also learned that this was their fifth child, as their other kids had previously been taken into custody.

In a previous court hearing, there was a sketch of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon. (The sketch was created by Elizabeth Cook/PA).

Explaining how they came to reside in a tent in Sussex while the police searched for the family, Mr. Little stated that "they opted to withhold the basic necessities of the baby in the midst of a chilly winter and treacherous weather. This included warmth, shelter, food, and, most importantly, safety."

In essence, they disconnected from modern amenities and resided in a tent with minimal clothing, lacking ways to maintain warmth and dryness while having very limited access to food.

He stated: "Their self-centered want to keep their daughter inevitably led to her passing."

During the court proceedings, it was recounted that the pair had celebrated Christmas in a vacation home in Northumberland and had left it in an extremely unsanitary condition. On the 5th of January, their Peugeot 206 was discovered on the M61, completely burned out. The authorities became aware that they had a baby when they discovered a placenta, wrapped in a towel, in the car's back seat.

The prosecutor mentioned that a lot of burner mobile phones were discovered by the Greater Manchester Police during their hunt in the destroyed vehicle. These phones are generally utilized to reduce the law enforcement's capacity to locate an individual.

Subsequently, the couple embarked on a taxi ride throughout the country, carrying their little child covertly under Marten's overcoat. On the 8th of January, it is claimed that they paid £475 to travel by taxi from Hornsey to Newhaven in East Sussex. They were spotted in the direction of the South Downs.

The Old Bailey is the Central Criminal Court located in London.

During the trial, it was revealed that the parents got rid of a stroller they recently bought and instead placed their baby in a reusable bag from Lidl. The baby spent a significant amount of time in that bag before passing away.

Mr. Little said that the defendants must have realized that treating a child in this manner was entirely unsuitable.

On Thursday, some of Marten's relatives, including her sibling and mother, were present in court during a fraction of the proceeding.

During the trial, the jury learned that Marten originates from an affluent family. It was also mentioned that the couple had blown a significant amount of money on cab rides all over the nation, funds that could have been utilized to provide the child with security and comfort.

The mother eventually informed the authorities that she had dozed off with the infant snuggled in her coat. However, when she roused from her nap, the little one had passed away.

During their arrest in Brighton on February 27th, after evading authorities for almost two months, Marten and Gordon initially declined to inform the officers of their daughter's whereabouts as the court was informed.

Following the discovery of the body, she informed the authorities that the infant - referred to as Baby A during the legal proceedings - was delivered at a location in Cumbria on December 24th. Based on her approximation, the child died on January 11th, although the prosecution team has reason to believe that the infant was still alive as of February 19th.

The jury was informed about portions of her police interview that said: "I had her in my coat and I had not rested well for many days. Then, I dozed off while holding her in an upright sitting position. Later, I woke up to find her dead in my coat." These were the words she used to describe the unfortunate event to the authorities.

I think I may have dozed off while lying on top of her. However, it didn't seem like she was moving or crying, and when I woke up, she was no longer breathing. I picked her up, just like I always used to, but it's possible that I had drifted off while crouched over her and she passed away.

The woman conveyed to the authorities that she and Gordon tried to revive the infant. Subsequently, she held onto the baby's remains in a bag and added soil to it for a certain period, as she desired for the baby to go through an autopsy and receive a decent burial.

When the body was discovered, the pathologists couldn't determine the exact reason for the death. Nevertheless, one pathologist stated that the death was connected to negligence. This negligence could have been brought about by exposure to cold temperatures, co-sleeping, or hypothermia. This information was presented in court.

During the court proceedings, it was also revealed that Marten deceived doctors during the delivery of her initial offspring. She provided them with a false identity and adopted an Irish accent as an attempt to convince them that she belonged to the travelling community.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the couple claimed to be "naturalists" and refused medical treatment after the birth of their most recent child. They also alleged that they left this child behind at the hospital in 2021.

The mother and father are both refusing the charge of committing manslaughter of their daughter due to extreme carelessness during the period of January 4th to February 27th of the previous year.

The couple has also refuted allegations of obstructing justice by hiding the corpse, hiding the birth of a baby, mistreating a child, and permitting the death of a child.

On the 1st of March, a plastic bag containing the remains of a baby was discovered in a neglected allotment shed in the Hollingbury region of Brighton. Marten and Gordon were taken into police custody from their residence at nearby Stanmer Villas, which ultimately led to the discovery.

The court case is ongoing and expected to conclude on March 8th.