Crocodile tears of a killer aristocrat: Moment Constance Marten is confronted over the death of newborn baby
by Shannon Cook · LBCBy Shannon Cook
Aristocrat Constance Marten seemingly shed a tear as she was confronted by police over the death of her newborn baby.
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Aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been found guilty at the Old Bailey of the manslaughter of their newborn baby.
One video reveals the moment Marten cries when she is confronted over the death of her weeks-old baby she shared with Gordon in a police interview.
In the clip, the police officer tells Marten "the baby has been found" and that "it is not alive".
She only responds to this by simply saying "okay" and calmly confirms that it is her baby.
Only when she is asked by the officer to explain more about the baby, Marten brings her hands to her face as she wipes away tears in a seemingly emotional display.
Looking visibly distressed, the officer tells Marten "there is no rush" and he's "not there to judge".
Constance Marten seen crying in police interview
The couple fled authorities and went off grid following the birth of newborn Victoria in a bid to keep their baby after four siblings were taken into care.
Victoria's body was discovered inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton days after the couple were arrested on February 27 2023.
The couple had been on the run for around two months. The baby's body was too badly decomposed to determine the cause of death.
The defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.
Moments after being convicted, Gordon angrily shouted from the dock: "I'm not surprised by the verdict. It was faulty, it was unlawful. This is not over, it has just begun."
Marten said: “It’s a scam” after the guilty verdict was returned.
The couple had been in a relationship since 2016 and went on the run when Marten was heavily pregnant with their fifth child in late December 2022.
Authorities had previously taken four of their children into care following concerns for the wellbeing of each child, which included previous warnings about wholly unsuitable living conditions for a baby in a tent, the CPS said.
Marten secretly gave birth and police were first alerted to the existence of a baby when a placenta was found wrapped in a towel in a car that was burning on the M61 motorway near Greater Manchester on 5 January 2023.
The couple fled the scene, and a national hunt was launched to find them and the baby.
The pair had took numerous taxis around the country and loitered around different ports in a bid to get out of the UK.
They later made their way to East Sussex and settled in the South Downs National Park with few possessions or food in freezing conditions with the newborn baby from 8 January 2023 onward.
It is not known exactly when the baby was born, or when she died. It is believed the newborn was alive for some weeks and was forced to endure the cold outdoor conditions.
At no stage did Marten or Gordon seek help for themselves or their baby.
When spotted by witnesses and on CCTV footage, the baby was seen only in a baby grow and without adequate winter clothing for the cold outdoors. The infant was not wearing any socks, a hat or even a blanket.
Marten and Gordon were arrested in Brighton on 27 February 2023 having been sleeping rough for nearly two months.
They did not answer any questions about their baby until its body was found two days later.
Experts have described Gordon, 50, as a sociopathic sex offender.
He was just 14 when he raped a woman at knifepoint in 1989 after breaking into her home armed with knives and hedge clippers.
He was jailed for 40 years, serving half of that in the US before being deported back to the UK.
The case is now the subject of a national child safeguarding review to consider whether new laws should be brought in to protect unborn children.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the case, said: “Today, the justice we have long fought for has been finally been served for baby Victoria.
"The selfish actions of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten resulted in the death of a newborn baby who should have had the rest of her life ahead of her.
"She should have recently celebrated her second birthday, but this was snatched away by the very people who should’ve protected and cared for her.
"This was an incredibly challenging investigation for the hundreds of officers who were involved in the search. Our main focus throughout the search was finding Victoria alive and we all remain devastated by her death.
"As anyone who's followed this trial will know, it was an incredibly complex investigation. Mark Gordon and Constance Marten deliberately avoided the authorities and continued to shield Victoria from us even after their arrest. This meant even the most experienced child pathologists in the country were unable to establish the cause of Victoria's death.
"We know today's verdict won't bring Victoria back, but I am pleased our painstaking investigation has resulted in those who caused her death being brought to justice."