Constance Marten: Images of newborn baby shown to jury for first time
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The jury overseeing Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's case were presented with images of their baby for the first time, who was discovered dead in a shed at a later time.
Victoria's death has led to accusations of manslaughter against Ms Marten, who is 36 years old, and Mr Gordon, who is 49. However, both deny these charges.
Last January, the burnt-out car of the parents was discovered with a placenta in it. Consequently, the parents resorted to travelling in taxis throughout England.
The Old Bailey was informed that during a taxi ride, Mr. Gordon crouched down in his seat when a police vehicle approached them.
According to a statement given to the police, Collette Franklin transported the individuals from Harwich to Colchester. During the journey, she observed that the male in the vehicle slid down his seat when a police car approached them on the road.
On January 5, 2023, the police became aware of the couple after their vehicle ignited on the M61 close to Manchester.
The accusation is that the couple was attempting to evade the authorities since their last four children were all removed from their custody.
According to them, the pair escaped by taking taxis from Liverpool to Harwich, followed by Colchester and finally arriving in London.
They abandoned the majority of their belongings and authorities discovered a placenta enveloped in a piece of cloth inside their car.
They got apprehended in Brighton on the 27th of February when someone saw them in public without the baby. Eventually, the authorities discovered the deceased infant in an abandoned shed on March 1st.
On Tuesday, the jury viewed recorded footage from security cameras featuring the pair in Colchester and at another location in East Ham, located in London.
In a certain moment, Mr Gordon enters a store named Special Connection, while Constance Marten is observed standing outside the shop.
The members of the jury were informed about the baby's situation on multiple occasions. However, they had not physically seen the child, only observed a protrusion under Ms. Marten's clothing.
All of a sudden, the court was able to see the baby on the CCTV monitor. The little one was dressed in a pure white outfit while Ms. Marten made some adjustments under her burgundy coat that had some extra cushioning in it.
The onlookers noticed that Ms Marten was gently rocking Victoria, possibly in an attempt to soothe her.
Afterwards, at a dining establishment for German Doner Kebab located in East Ham, a young female infant is observed flailing her extremities while Ms. Marten constructs a stroller that was previously acquired by Mark Gordon at Argos.
The pair placed the infant into the stroller while the security camera watched. According to the testimony presented in court, the duo abandoned the stroller the same day. While the video was presented in court, Mr. Gordon concealed his face with his hand while seated in the dock.
Photo credit, Press Eye
The authorities have released an image of the charred vehicle belonging to the pair, which was found abandoned on the M61 close to Manchester.
The lawyer defending him, John Femi-Ola KC, had a brief conversation with him and requested a brief pause because his client was feeling "very anxious".
Ms Marten did not show up in court for her trial. The CCTV footage from East Ham was captured on Saturday, January 7, 2023, which was two days after the car of the couple was engulfed in flames.
During the trial, it was revealed that the couple first went to Whitechapel after leaving East Ham, where Mr. Gordon bought a tent from a different Argos store. Following this, they traveled to Haringey in North London before catching a taxi to Newhaven, located in Sussex.
They got to their destination during the wee hours of Sunday, January 9th, 2023.
Ms Marten was caught on camera at a Texaco gas station three days after the incident, specifically on February 12th.
However, according to Joel Smith from the prosecution, there is a gap in the CCTV footage until February 20, where there is no evidence available.
During this time, according to the prosecution, the couple were caught on CCTV cameras searching through trash cans near a clubhouse at a golf course located in Brighton. As a result of their actions, they were apprehended by authorities within the city on February 27th.
The image was obtained from PA Media.
The Met Police provided a photograph of Constance Marten arriving in East Ham, London with Mark Gordon while holding baby Victoria under her coat.
During the court proceedings, two individuals testified as witnesses claiming that they had encountered the couple in Brighton prior to the incident in question.
According to the statement of Paul Rogers, a professional who walks dogs, he believed that he spotted a couple near the Hollingbury Golf Course. He mentioned that he saw a male individual with a darker complexion and a female individual with a lighter complexion walking simultaneously, pushing a baby carriage while moving about on a patch of grass.
As I neared their location, I observed that their appearances were slightly unkempt, somewhat grubby, and could be individuals who don't have a permanent residence," clarified Mr Rodgers.
The gentleman had plastic sacks, holding one in each hand while the lady was driving a cart with what seemed like a carriage intended for a young child.
He claimed that he did not spot an infant, and he had the impression that the calendar date might have been either February 16th or 17th.
During his testimony, Tim Morris stated that he and his spouse were on Coldean Lane on 18 February when they spotted a pair walking across the road in front of them while they were waiting for the traffic lights to change.
Mr Morris stated that he mentioned to his spouse that he recognized the couple from the news and she suggested that the woman appeared to have an object concealed beneath her coat, which could be quite small.
John Femi-Ola KC, on behalf of Mr Gordon, inquired "Is it possible that you are incorrect?"
"Maybe," responded Mr. Morris.
Approximately eight weeks after her disappearance, the lifeless body of Baby Victoria was discovered in a shed situated in Brighton. The corpse was concealed within a Lidl grocery bag that was created to be used repeatedly.
In addition to the charge of manslaughter, the couple has been accused of four other violations. These include committing acts of cruelty towards their infant, hiding the birth of their child, being responsible for or allowing her death, as well as obstructing the legal process by hiding the body.
