A court has heard how a newborn baby died after her parents went on the run from authorities and carried her around in a Lidl 'bag for life' before dumping her 'as if she was refuse'. Constance Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of their daughter, whose body was found in a disused shed covered in rubbish.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey that the baby's death was the result of the couple's 'reckless, utterly selfish, callous, cruel, arrogant and ultimately grossly negligent conduct'. The couple, who have no fixed address, deny the charges, which also include perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and causing or allowing the death of a child.
The court heard that the couple's car caught fire on the M61 motorway on 5 January last year, sparking a major hunt. Police found Marten's passport and a placenta wrapped in a towel in the burnt-out vehicle, revealing the existence of a missing newborn. The couple then travelled around the country, spending hundreds of pounds on taxis, before buying a tent and camping in the South Downs national park in freezing conditions.
Marten told police the baby was born on 11 January and died shortly after when she fell asleep holding her. She said she considered cremating the baby herself and bought petrol for that purpose, but ultimately placed the body in a bag and covered it with soil after it began to smell. The couple were arrested in Brighton on 27 February, and the baby's body was found on 1 March.
The court was told that the precise cause of death was difficult to determine but was consistent with hypothermia or exposure. Little said the couple 'put their relationship and their view of life before the life of a little baby girl'. The trial continues.
