Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, a couple from Eltham in south London, are now facing two additional charges in relation to the death of their baby daughter. The charges come after their two-month-old daughter, Victoria, was found deceased in a plastic bag in Brighton. The couple was initially charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, concealing a child’s birth, and perverting the course of justice.
The new charges include child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child. It is alleged that the defendants either caused the baby’s death through their own “unlawful act” or failed to take reasonable steps to protect the child. The alleged offences took place between January 4 and February 27.
Constance Marten, 36, appeared via video link from Bronzefield prison, while Mark Gordon, 49, appeared from Belmarsh jail. They both confirmed their identities during the hearing, with Marten wearing a pink and white floral print shirt and Gordon dressed in a grey tracksuit.
During the hearing at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC adjourned the plea and case management hearing from August 18 to September 22. The provisional trial has been scheduled for January 2 of the following year. Another hearing was set for August 25 to address any further matters related to the case.
The remains of baby Victoria were discovered in a locked shed at an overgrown allotment in Brighton’s Hollingbury area on March 1. Marten and Gordon were subsequently arrested in Stanmer Villas in the city. An initial post-mortem examination did not establish a cause of death.
The police had been actively searching for the defendants for several weeks prior to their arrest.
The case continues to unfold as the defendants face new charges related to child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child. The court proceedings will determine the course of justice and provide answers surrounding the tragic death of baby Victoria.
