A couple has been sentenced to 14 years in prison each after being found guilty of killing their newborn daughter, Victoria. The pair, Constance Marten, 38, and her partner Mark Gordon, 51, went on the run with the baby in an attempt to evade social services, who had previously taken their other four children into care.
Victoria’s remains were discovered inside a shopping bag in an allotment in Brighton on 1 March 2023, sparking national outrage. The discovery followed a 54-day nationwide manhunt, during which the couple travelled across several cities using large amounts of cash from Marten’s family trust fund. They used taxis to move from Bolton to Liverpool, Essex, London, and finally the south coast.
During sentencing at the Old Bailey, the judge remarked that the couple had shown little regard for the welfare of their baby, choosing instead to prioritise themselves. He added that neither had displayed genuine remorse, instead attempting to shift blame onto others.
The pair were convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence following a second trial. They had previously been found guilty of perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, and child cruelty. The first jury had failed to reach a verdict on the manslaughter charges, necessitating a retrial.
Marten is currently seeking permission to appeal her manslaughter conviction, although a previous attempt to overturn her conviction for child cruelty was rejected earlier in the year.
The trials were highly complex, spanning more than 33 weeks and beset with disruptions and delays. The proceedings are estimated to have cost around £10 million, with each day in court reportedly amounting to £30,000 per defendant.
The case began in January 2023 when police discovered a placenta in the couple’s burnt-out car on a motorway in Bolton. This prompted fears for the welfare of the baby and led to an intensive search operation. Marten later explained that the couple went on the run to prevent their fifth child from being removed by authorities, claiming her previous children had been “stolen by the state.”
The sentencing brings closure to a case that has deeply unsettled the public, highlighting the devastating consequences of neglect, secrecy, and a refusal to cooperate with child protection services.
