Couple sentenced for manslaughter of newborn baby
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter for the death of their baby girl Victoria
Last updated 15th Sep 2025
A couple found guilty of the manslaughter of their new born baby Victoria have been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon lived outside in a tent in freezing conditions with their baby Victoria.
At a trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard how the couple went on the run to avoid the authorities after their four previous children were taken into care.
The couple had been on the run after their abandoned car was found on fire on the M61 in Greater Manchester.
They were then spotted at a hotel in Essex and CCTV showed Marten carrying a baby underneath her coat.
The couple were arrested in Brighton and the body of their child was found in a shopping bag at an allotment.
The cause of death for baby Victoria was not able to be determined by pathologists however, Marten told officers she had died whilst the couple were sleeping.
In a statement after their conviction, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the search for the couple, said: "Victoria's death was completely avoidable. The couple had plenty of opportunities to do the right thing and come forward to ask for help. They knew that officers were looking for them.
"We have waited more than two years to secure justice for baby Victoria and I am pleased we have now been able to get that for her - despite her parents trying to disrupt and derail not one, but two trials.
"I would like to thank the media for the support they showed throughout the search, as well as the many members of the public who reported sightings. I'd also like to thank the jury for their patience and resilience in having to sit through a long trial where they had to listen to Marten and Gordon's horrific actions.
"This information was incredibly important, and officers travelled across the country to track down CCTV and speak to witnesses.
"Speaking personally as a father, I find it hard to comprehend how, instead of providing the warmth and care their child needed, Mark Gordon and Constance Marten chose to live outside during freezing conditions to avoid the authorities."