Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have each been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria, who died after they took her to live in a tent in wintry conditions while on the run from social services. The couple, whose four older children had been taken into care, went off the grid in late 2022 and were found by police in Brighton after a seven-week nationwide hunt.
At the Old Bailey on Monday, Judge Lucraft KC described their actions as 'neglect of the gravest and most serious type' and noted a lack of genuine remorse. The judge also cited Gordon's violent past, including a rape conviction in the US, as an aggravating factor. Gordon received an additional four years on extended licence.
The couple's burnt-out car was found near Bolton in January 2023, with evidence that Victoria had been born shortly before. They travelled across England by taxi before camping in a tent near Brighton, where Victoria died from hypothermia or suffocation. Her body was later found in a Lidl bag in a disused shed.
During the trial, Marten and Gordon were disruptive in the dock, prompting the judge to threaten removal. Both defendants cut short their testimony before cross-examination. The prosecution argued the death was preventable, and the jury unanimously convicted them of manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, concealing a birth, and child cruelty.
Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke of the Met Police said the couple's 'selfish actions' led to the death of an innocent baby who would have recently turned two. Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal added that no child should have had their life cut short in such a preventable way, and hoped the sentences brought justice.
