The tragic tale of an aristocrat's newborn baby, whose life was cut short amidst a desperate attempt to evade authorities, unfolded at the Old Bailey this week. Constance Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, stand accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of their infant daughter.
The court heard how the couple's privileged upbringing starkly contrasted with the squalid conditions their child endured. The prosecution alleged that Marten's 'selfish desire' to keep the baby led to a catastrophic chain of events, ultimately resulting in the child's death.
A Desperate Flight from Authorities
Jurors were told how the couple embarked on a nomadic existence, living off-grid in a tent on the South Downs in the depths of winter. They allegedly used cash to avoid leaving a digital footprint and burned their belongings in a bid to disappear.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC painted a picture of 'extreme recklessness' as he described the environment the baby was subjected to. "The defendant's desire to keep her baby girl led inexorably to the death of that very baby," he stated.
The Final Days
The court learned that the child, named Victoria, was last seen alive in early January 2023. Her body was later discovered in a disused shed in Brighton, hidden inside a Lidl bag-for-life that was placed in a red shopping bag.
Little detailed the couple's movements, from renting a car and using taxis to their eventual stay at a budget hotel. It was there, the prosecution claims, that the baby's lifeless body was kept for several days before being discarded.
A Case of Gross Negligence
The prosecution argued that the couple's actions were not merely misguided but criminally negligent. "All of those steps and others were taken by the defendants to prevent the authorities from knowing that Victoria existed, let alone knowing where she was," Little told the court.
The trial, which is expected to last several weeks, continues as the jury hears evidence about one of the most heartbreaking cases of parental failure to come before the courts in recent years.
