The trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon took a dramatic turn at the Old Bailey as the aristocratic defendant and her partner pointedly refused to stand for the judge and remained silent when asked to enter pleas.
Marten, 36, whose family boasts connections to the Royal Family, and Gordon, 49, are charged with the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria, whose body was discovered in a disused shed in Brighton last year. The couple additionally face charges of perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
In a tense courtroom scene, the pair remained seated as Judge Mark Lucraft KC entered. They continued their defiance when the clerk asked them to confirm their identities, responding with stony silence. The court was forced to enter not guilty pleas on their behalf for the charges of concealing the birth and cruelty to a child.
The prosecution, led by Tom Little KC, outlined a harrowing case. He alleged the couple's "reckless, utterly selfish and callous" actions led directly to their baby's "entirely avoidable" death. The court heard how they chose to live off-grid in a tent on the South Downs during one of the coldest winters on record, deliberately isolating themselves from authorities.
Little detailed how the pair, who met in 2014, had already had four children taken into care. He stated they were "on the run" from social services, spending thousands of pounds from a reported £50,000 cash fund on taxis and self-storage as they travelled across England.
The trial, which is expected to last several weeks, continues as the jury hears the full tragic story of baby Victoria's short life and the circumstances that led to her death.
