A couple who fled across the UK to avoid authorities have been jailed for a total of 32 years following the death of their newborn daughter, whom they kept in freezing conditions in a tent.
Mark Gordon, 51, and Constance Marten, 38, both of no fixed address, were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday, 15 September, after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. Gordon received 18 years’ imprisonment, while Marten was given 14 years.
The pair had gone on the run with their baby, Victoria, after their four previous children were taken into care. Their desperate evasion led to a 53-day nationwide search, culminating in the discovery of the infant’s body in a shopping bag at an allotment near Brighton.
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Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, who led the homicide investigation, described the case as “incredibly challenging” for the hundreds of officers involved. “The selfish actions of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten resulted in the death of an innocent newborn baby who would have recently had her second birthday and should have had the rest of her life ahead of her,” she said.
“Our main focus throughout the search was finding Victoria alive, and we were devastated by the outcome. We know today’s sentencing won’t bring Victoria back, but I am pleased our investigation has resulted in the couple who caused her death finally being brought to justice.”
The ordeal began on 5 January 2023, when the couple’s car broke down and caught fire on the M61 in Greater Manchester. Firefighters discovered the vehicle abandoned, filled with items including nappies, clothing, and a placenta, raising immediate concerns for a recent birth and potential medical emergency.
A missing person’s investigation was launched after Marten’s passport was found in the wreckage. Witnesses and CCTV footage traced the pair to Bolton and then Liverpool that evening.
From Liverpool, they hired a taxi for £350 to travel 270 miles to Harwich in Essex, possibly intending to flee the country by boat. They checked into a hotel under a false name, with CCTV capturing Marten concealing the baby under her coat.
Public appeals were issued amid growing welfare concerns, and media coverage intensified.
On 7 January, a member of the public confronted them, recognising them from the news.
Undeterred, the couple continued their flight, taking taxis to Colchester and then east London. In East Ham, they purchased an oversized buggy from Argos, which they soon discarded, opting instead to carry Victoria in a supermarket bag for life.
CCTV from a Whitechapel restaurant provided the first confirmed sighting of the baby alive since her birth. Their unpredictable movements complicated police efforts to track them.
In the early hours of 8 January, they paid £475 for a taxi to Newhaven in East Sussex, where they were seen entering the vast South Downs Way area. Searches yielded no results at the time.
By 16 January, a sighting placed them in a tent at Stanmer Park Nature Reserve near Brighton, enduring sub-zero winter temperatures. Additional sightings went unreported until later.
After over a month in the tent, the couple visited a shop in Hollingbury Place, Brighton, on 27 February. A vigilant member of the public, spotting them from media appeals, alerted police. Sussex officers arrested them nearby in Golf Drive, but Victoria was nowhere to be found.
During emergency interviews, both refused to disclose the child’s whereabouts; Gordon repeatedly demanded food instead.
An extensive search ensued, with Metropolitan Police officers joining Sussex forces. On 1 March, Victoria’s body was discovered in a carrier bag inside a shed on a local allotment.
Pathologists could not determine the exact cause of death. Marten claimed the baby died while they slept but provided no further details.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who oversaw the manhunt, condemned the couple’s choices. “Victoria’s death was completely avoidable,” he said. “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.”
He praised the media and public for their crucial role in providing sightings and leads, which enabled officers to scour CCTV and interview witnesses nationwide.
“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.”
The case has highlighted the perils of evading child protection services, with the couple’s actions leading to tragedy despite widespread efforts to locate and assist them.
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