Constance Marten trial – latest: Aristocrat accused of killing newborn calls baby’s death a ‘horrible accident’
Marten and partner Mark Gordon deny gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter Victoria
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Aristocrat Constance Marten has called the death of her newborn baby a “horrible accident” that “could’ve happened to anyone”.
Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial after their daughter Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in wintry conditions last year.
Following their arrests last February, the infant’s badly decomposed body was found in an allotment shed inside a Lidl supermarket bag that also contained soil and rubbish.
On Thursday, her fifth day of giving evidence in her trial, the mother was also cross-examined at the Old Bailey about the couple’s decision to buy a tent and live off grid to hide from authorities, telling jurors: “Babies don’t require that much to survive.”
The couple deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year, charges of perverting the course of justice by concealing the body, along with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
The trial resumes on Friday when the cross-examination of Marten is set to continue.
Mother admits to lying before and says she would lie again ‘to save my child’, court hears
Constance Marten has admitted to having lied before as she said she would lie again “to save my child”, a court has heard.
During her cross-examination at the Old Bailey on Thursday, she told prosecutor Joel Smith: “I think what you’re alluding to is I’m just a liar because I’ve lied once before.”
She added: “I would be prepared to lie to save my child, of course I would.”
Tearful Marten says children are a parent’s ‘pride and joy’ as she defends her actions at Old Bailey
The tearful mother has told jurors children are a parent’s “pride and joy” as she defends her actions at the Old Bailey.
Fighting back tears as she gave evidence, she added: “If there’s any fear of your child being taken from you, most parents would do anything.”
Marten believes she was ‘up against’ social services and ‘influential’ family, jurors hear
Constance Marten has told jurors she was “up against” both social services and her “influential” family, who she said has connections in the Houses of Parliament.
Testifying at the Old Bailey for a fifth day, the mother said: “The problem I had was I wasn’t just up against social services – I was up against family members who are very influential and have huge connections in high places in this country, including in parliament.”
Mother claims those taking children into care could be influenced by ‘monetary gain’, court hears
Constance Marten has told a court she believes those taking children into care could be influenced by “monetary gain”.
During her cross-examination, prosecutor Joel Smith put a number of claims to her from the website of Ian Joseph, who purports to offer free legal advice on forced adoption, family courts, and social services.
The mother was asked to respond to the website’s suggestion to “never contact child protection or social services for advice”.
She told jurors she believes that is “absolutely true”, adding: “This is my personal opinion – there is a lot of monetary gain in taking, especially very young babies, off parents.”
The 36-year-old was asked if she thought Mr Joseph’s advice was “good”, to which she responded: “To not let a social worker anywhere near your child? Yes, absolutely.”
The Old Bailey has previously heard Marten and her partner Mark Gordon went on the run from authorities in a bid to keep their baby Victoria after their four other children were taken into care.
Marten defends putting on fake accent in order to ‘escape family’, jurors told
Constance Marten has defended putting on a fake accent and falsifying parts of the story she told while on the run from authorities in Wales, a court has heard.
Speaking of her newborn Victoria, she told jurors she was forced to in order to “save my child” from outside forces, namely her family, whom she believes did not agree with her having children. The 36-year-old’s four other children with Mark Gordon were taken into care, the court has previously been told.
The mother admitted at the Old Bailey: “In Wales, I masked my accent – but the story I gave was true to myself... except for the masked accent, and parts. But I had to escape my family who didn’t agree with me having children with Mark.”
She added: “My family will not stop at any length until they take my child off me.”
Marten believes her family are ‘highly embarrassed’ she had children with Gordon, court hears
Constance Marten has said she believes her family are “highly embarrassed” she had children with Mark Gordon, a court has heard.
Testifying at the Old Bailey for a fifth day, she said: “My family didn’t agree with me having these children... They didn’t want anything to do with my children. They are highly embarrassed of the fact I had children with Mark.”
Jurors have previously been told four of the couple’s children were taken into care, with their newborn Victoria, their fifth, dying while they were on the run from authorities in a bid to keep her.
Constance Marten returns to witness stand for fifth day
Constance Marten has returned to the witness stand today to give evidence for a fifth day as she stands trial at the Old Bailey.
The court heard the mother is feeling unwell today, reporting symptoms of nausea, with Judge Mark Lucraft KC reminding her: “If you don’t feel well enough to continue you will let me know.”
The jury has also filed into Court 5.
Yesterday, jurors heard:
- Marten became agitated when asked about a teddy bear babygrow Victoria was wearing in CCTV footage from east London which was later among items recovered with her “dumped” body
- Throughout the day, she was repeatedly questioned about their decision to camp in a tent in sub-zero temperatures with few possessions, stressing: “We were not looking to live in a tent. We were acting on instinct. She was our number one priority. We were living in a tent for Victoria”
- Jurors have heard that Gordon and Marten went on the run from authorities in a bid to keep their baby after their four other children were taken into care. Giving her reasoning, the mother said that social services had “stolen” her children
- She also took aim at her family, accusing them of involvement in the removal of her children: “I have had a very privileged upbringing but my family are used to getting what they want and they won’t stop until they get it”
Evidence heard yesterday as Marten set to resume testifying at midday
The trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon is resuming today, with the jury expected to sit from midday as the cross-examination of the mother will continue.
Yesterday, the Old Bailey heard:
- The aristocrat accused of killing her baby defended living off-grid while on the run with her newborn, telling jurors: “Jesus survived in a barn, didn’t he?”
- She argued their period living in a tent on the South Downs was being looked at from a “Western perspective”, adding that Bedouin families walk through cold deserts with children while others live in shanty towns
- Marten became tearful when questioned if she was responsible for her baby’s death, replying: “I think to a degree of course, I feel responsible as her mum for her death but at the same time I have to love and forgive myself”
- She strongly rejected the prosecution’s “ridiculous” suggestion that she had carried her daughter in a Lidl “bag for life” when she was alive
Marten to return to stand for fifth day
Constance Marten is due to return to the stand at the Old Bailey this morning, for the fifth day of giving evidence.
Marten, 36, and her partner, Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial after baby Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in wintry conditions last year.
The defendants, of no fixed address, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.
‘Jesus survived in a barn’: Constance Marten defends living in tent with newborn
An aristocrat accused of killing her baby has defended living off-grid while on the run with her newborn, telling jurors: “Jesus survived in a barn, didn’t he?”.
Constance Marten, 36, and her partner, Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial after baby Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in wintry conditions last year.
While being cross-examined at the Old Bailey, she argued their period living in a tent on the South Downs was being looked at from a “Western perspective”, adding that Bedouin families walk through cold deserts with children while others live in shanty towns.
Holly Evans reports:
‘Jesus survived in a barn’: Aristocrat accused of killing baby defends living in tent
Constance Marten, on trial at the Old Bailey with her partner Mark Gordon, also insisted that the couple had not ‘dumped’ their baby in a Lidl rubbish bag
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