**Constance Marten and Mark Gordon Found Guilty of Manslaughter Following Tragic Death of Infant Daughter**
Aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon, have been convicted of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria, after a high-profile and distressing trial at the Old Bailey. The verdict, delivered on Monday, brings to a close a case that has gripped the nation, shining a harsh spotlight on the couple’s attempts to evade authorities and the circumstances that led to the infant’s untimely death.
The ordeal began in January 2023, when police launched an urgent search for Marten, 38, and Gordon, 51, following a car fire on a motorway near Bolton, Greater Manchester. The incident prompted concerns for the welfare of their newborn and resulted in a sprawling manhunt, capturing public attention as the pair travelled furtively across England. For seven weeks, they lived off-grid, reportedly sleeping in a tent on the remote South Downs.
Concern over baby Victoria’s wellbeing escalated as the couple remained elusive, prompting fears amongst authorities and the public. Their journey culminated in Brighton, where they were eventually apprehended by police in February 2023. A subsequent search led to a heartbreaking discovery: Victoria’s body was found concealed in a bag amongst waste inside a derelict shed.
The court heard that Victoria’s body was so decomposed that medical examiners could not definitively determine her cause of death. However, the prosecution argued that she either succumbed to hypothermia due to the freezing and damp conditions in the makeshift shelter or was smothered. The prosecution described the couple’s actions as reckless, emphasising that Victoria was deprived of adequate warmth and care.
Marten and Gordon, however, presented a different narrative during their retrial. They asserted that Victoria’s death was a tragic accident, claiming Marten had dozed off while holding her daughter in her arms. Despite these claims, the jury unanimously found both guilty of manslaughter. The pair had already been convicted of other offences in a previous trial, including perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth, and child cruelty.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford of Scotland Yard spoke following the verdict, stating: “Today justice has been served for baby Victoria. Her death was completely avoidable, and the pair’s selfish decisions led to her losing the chance of a future.” DS Basford also reflected on the family court’s earlier decision to remove Marten’s four other children into care, noting that this outcome had now been validated by the events that unfolded.
The trial also provided insight into Gordon’s criminal past—revelations that, according to reports, visibly shocked the jury. In the late 1980s, Gordon was convicted of a violent rape in Florida when he was just 14 years old and subsequently served over two decades in prison. Details of further alarming conduct, including suspected domestic violence against Marten and previous assaults on police officers, also emerged during the court proceedings.
Throughout their period on the run, the couple’s movements were tracked via CCTV and financial trails, painting a picture of desperation and evasion. They left behind significant sums of money and personal belongings, including their family cat and an array of burner phones, as they travelled by taxi from the North West to the South Coast. Baby Victoria was fleetingly captured on camera in London, but tragically she was later found dead wearing the same recognisable baby grow.
Marten later stated during police interviews that she had not slept in several days and accidentally fell asleep while holding Victoria, only to wake to find her lifeless. Social workers had previously warned her about the dangers of co-sleeping with a baby, especially in hazardous conditions like those inside a tent.
Both defendants took to the witness stand in their retrial, but their testimonies were described as evasive and ultimately failed to sway the court. Marten went so far as to call the prosecution’s case “heartless” and “diabolical,” but these protestations did not prevent the guilty verdicts.
The case has brought to light serious issues surrounding the welfare of vulnerable children and the consequences when families go to extremes to evade social services. As the legal process concludes, the spotlight returns to safeguarding procedures—and the tragic fate of a newborn child whose life was cut tragically short.