Aristocrat Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are anticipated to return to court docket at the moment because the trial into the demise of their new child child enters its closing days.
Marten, 36, and her associate Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died whereas they had been tenting on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures final January.
In a bid to maintain their child after 4 earlier kids had been taken into care, the couple had gone on the run and evaded police for almost two months. Following their arrest, Victoria’s badly decomposed stays had been present in a Lidl purchasing bag in an allotment shed.
Throughout her proof, Marten instructed jurors she had meant to search out somebody to smuggle them overseas illegally, and claimed her daughter had died in her arms on 9 January after falling asleep in her jacket. She additionally defended their use of a tent throughout winter, stating: “Jesus survived in a barn.”
The couple deny costs of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February final 12 months, costs of perverting the course of justice by concealing the physique, together with concealing the beginning of a kid, little one cruelty, and permitting the demise of a kid.
The trial continues, with the Crown Prosecution Service anticipated to sum up its proof at the moment, adopted by the defence attorneys giving their closing arguments. Then the choose will sum up the case earlier than jurors will retire to think about their verdicts.
Constance Marten feels ‘accountable’ for demise of her child, court docket instructed
Earlier within the trial, Constance Marten instructed jurors she felt “accountable” for “falling asleep” on her new child whereas dwelling in a tent on the run with Mark Gordon.
Giving proof, she mentioned she believes she could have fallen asleep on the teenager after they pitched a tent in Newhaven to “lay low”.
“She was our pleasure and pleasure. I had 4 children. I understand how to take care of kids. Our major concern was Victoria,” she instructed the court docket.
“I do really feel accountable for falling asleep on her if that’s what occurred. I’m unsure as a result of the post-mortem was inconclusive however I do really feel accountable for her.”
Alex Ross15 April 2024 11:14
The second police ask Constance Marten ‘the place is your little one’
The jury within the trial have beforehand been proven a video of Constance Marten’s arrest in Brighton.
It reveals a police officer figuring out her with using an image on a cell phone, as one other asks ‘the place is your little one’.
The newborn’s stays had been present in a disused shed, hidden by a plastic bag and lined in garbage “as if she was refuse”, the prosecution instructed the court docket.
At the moment we predict the prosecution to sum up its proof within the case earlier than the jury retires to think about its verdict.
Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, each deny gross negligence manslaughter of their new child daughter
Watch: Police ask Constance Marten ‘the place is your little one?’ throughout arrest
Police repeatedly requested Constance Marten “the place is your little one” in a video of her arrest in Brighton proven to jurors on the Outdated Bailey on Tuesday (6 February). The aristocrat, 36, and Mark Gordon, 39, had been arrested on suspicion of kid neglect on 27 February 2023 after happening the run. The couple had allegedly been dwelling with their new child child off-grid in a tent on the South Downs for weeks. Marten and Gordon deny gross negligence manslaughter of their new child daughter. The newborn’s stays had been present in a disused shed, hidden by a plastic bag and lined in garbage “as if she was refuse”, the prosecution instructed the court docket. The trial continues.
Alex Ross15 April 2024 10:30
Reminder of the fees confronted
Constance Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, each deny gross negligence manslaughter of their new child daughter who died after they fled to cease the newborn being taken into care like their 4 different kids.
Marten has beforehand instructed the court docket how she fell asleep with the toddler, named Victoria, zipped inside her jacket as they camped off-grid within the South Downs final January however awoke to search out her useless.
Alex Ross15 April 2024 10:15
Constance Marten’s dad and mom deny personal investigators had been trailing her when she went on the run
Final week, jurors heard how Constance Marten’s dad and mom instructed police that no personal investigators had been trailing their daughter when she went on the run with Mark Gordon.
The court docket heard that Marten’s mom employed a non-public investigator for 2 weeks in October 2016 as a result of she was anxious about her daughter.
In the meantime her father instructed police he had employed investigators to search out her in 2017 and 2021.
Alex Ross15 April 2024 09:52
Good morning
We’re restarting updates on our weblog this morning as we expectthe prosecution to start summing up its proof at the moment in its case in opposition to Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.
Marten, 36, and her associate Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died whereas they had been tenting on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures final January.
We’ll carry you the newest from the Outdated Bailey.
Alex Ross15 April 2024 09:08
We are actually pausing updates on this weblog. Thanks for tuning in.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 April 2024 15:00
Dad and mom deny personal investigators had been trailing Marten when she went on the run
In agreed information learn to the jury on Thursday, they had been instructed Marten’s dad and mom had made statements to the police about their use of personal investigators.
The court docket heard that Marten’s mom employed a non-public investigator for 2 weeks in October 2016 as a result of she was anxious about her daughter.
Her father instructed police he had employed investigators to search out her in 2017 and 2021.
Nonetheless, each deny any personal investigator was instructed to search out her in 2022 or in 2023 – when she went on the run with Gordon and child Victoria.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 April 2024 12:38
What is occurring at the moment?
The prosecution is anticipated to start their closing speech at the moment within the Outdated Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.
Marten, 36, and her associate Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died whereas they had been tenting on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures final January.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 April 2024 09:20
Constance Marten ‘given £48k’ from household belief fund in months as much as her child’s demise
A fugitive aristocrat was given virtually £50,000 from her household belief fund within the months earlier than she disappeared together with her associate and new child child, a court docket has heard.
Constance Marten was given £47,886 by C. Hoare & Co between September 2022 and January 2023. A police enchantment to search out them was launched on January 6 final 12 months.
Learn the total article right here:
Holly Evans12 April 2024 06:00
‘Jesus survived in a barn’: Constance Marten defends dwelling in tent with new child
An aristocrat accused of killing her child has defended dwelling off-grid whereas on the run together with her new child, telling jurors: “Jesus survived in a barn, didn’t he?”.
Constance Marten, 36, and her associate, Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial after child Victoria died whereas they had been tenting on the South Downs in wintry circumstances final 12 months.
Whereas being cross-examined on the Outdated Bailey, she argued their interval dwelling in a tent on the South Downs was being checked out from a “Western perspective”, including that Bedouin households stroll by way of chilly deserts with kids whereas others stay in shanty cities.
Learn the total article right here:
Holly Evans12 April 2024 04:00