Aristocrat Constance Marten and her boyfriend, Mark Gordon, have been charged following the tragic death of their newborn daughter, Victoria, after allegedly abandoning her while camping off-grid in freezing winter conditions. The infant’s lifeless body was discovered wrapped in a plastic bag under a pile of nappies in a shed, a court heard today.
The couple, aged 35 and 48 respectively, face serious charges including manslaughter by gross negligence, concealing the birth, and obstructing justice. The events reportedly took place in rural Sussex between January 5 and February 27.
Victoria’s disappearance prompted a massive police search involving hundreds of officers from the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police, alongside volunteer search and rescue teams. The extensive search covered approximately 90 square miles before the baby’s body was found on March 1 in a Brighton allotment, hidden beneath a heap of nappies.
Court details revealed that Marten and Gordon camped off-grid in harsh winter weather with their newborn before Victoria’s death. The couple evaded police for weeks, using cash and booking accommodations under false names after their car caught fire near Bolton on January 5. Marten, who had recently given birth, was never medically checked during this time.
Despite Marten’s aristocratic background and connections to the royal family, the couple left their southeast London home last September to live a nomadic lifestyle. Police tracked multiple sightings of the pair across Liverpool, Essex, south London, and East Sussex during their time on the run.
Marten appeared in court wearing a white flowery blouse and red lipstick, applying for bail. However, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, Recorder of London, denied bail, and she remains in custody.
The next court hearing is scheduled for August 25 to discuss custody time limits, with the trial due to begin on January 2 and expected to last four to six weeks. This heartbreaking case has drawn national attention, highlighting the tragic end to baby Victoria’s brief life.
Originally published by UKNIP.
