Constance Marten’s baby ‘caught in middle of toxic relationship’ between manslaughter-accused parents

Mother accused of telling ‘big fat lies’ over death of daughter Victoria, whose body was found in a rubbish-filled carrier bag

The baby daughter of Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon died after she was caught in the middle of their “toxic and self-absorbed” relationship, a court has heard.

Jurors were told that Marten had told “big fat lies” to the court over the death of baby Victoria, whose body was found dumped in a rubbish-filled carrier bag after the couple spent 53 days on the run.

Marten, 36, and Gordon, 49, both deny gross negligence manslaughter of the newborn, whom they took off-grid to stop her from being taken into care like their four other children.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are on trial at the Old Bailey (PA)

The mother previously told the court how she fell asleep with the infant zipped inside her jacket as they camped in wintry conditions in a “flimsy” tent on the South Downs last January, but awoke to find her dead.

In his closing submissions to the jury, prosecutor Tom Little insisted Marten was an “utterly unreliable witness”.

“Lies fell from her mouth like confetti in the wind as she gave evidence,” he told the Old Bailey on Monday. “We suggest that the notion that she is a reliable, let alone honest, witness is risible. Her evidence comes with a monumental health warning.”

Marten, Gordon and baby Victoria seen on CCTV in a kebab shop in East Ham, London (PA)

Mr Little told the packed courtroom that baby Victoria was neglected, and that she was taken to the Sussex coast wearing just a vest and a babygro. He added that she “didn’t stand a chance” during her short life.

“This was, on the evidence, we say, a self-absorbed relationship between two selfish and arrogant individuals. And caught in the middle of that toxic relationship was a baby who was manifestly not cared for properly,” he said. “She was neglected and was exposed to dangerous conditions. A freezing-cold baby girl with just – we say – a single babygro and one vest. No hat. A hat is never seen, a hat has never been found.”

He accused Marten of “grandstanding on a Premier League level” and telling “big fat lies” in the witness box during six days of evidence, in which she insisted Victoria had been well cared for and their four other children had been wrongly taken into care.

She also claimed the couple had been driven into hiding by her family, who she feared were using private investigators to track them down.

Mr Little said she had thrown everyone under the bus “apart from her wonderful husband”, adding: “Everyone is evil and bad apart from her and Mr Gordon in Constance Marten land.”

Marten was wearing a white blouse and a plum scarf in the dock on Monday alongside Gordon, who was wearing a blue shirt and navy tie, as Mr Little accused her of lying about the type of pram they had bought.

The moment police discovered the remains of Marten and Gordon’s baby covered in leaves in a rubbish-filled shopping bag (Metropolitan Police)

The couple also lied about using a car seat for baby Victoria, claimed Mr Little, who added: “Why lie about the car seat unless the impression was meant to be that they were more caring parents than was the reality.”

He insisted Gordon’s silence during the trial was “deafening” after Gordon opted not to give evidence in his own defence. The prosecutor claimed Gordon “didn’t dare” enter the witness box because he did not want to face cross-examination.

Mr Little reminded the jury that during his police interview, Gordon had launched into a “Trump-esque rant” in which he vowed to tell a jury what had really happened.

“I lost count of the number of times that he told the police that he would leave his version of events for you and you alone,” Mr Little said. “And when his time came to tell you, his jury, what had happened, he said absolutely nothing. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Nothing about the death of his own daughter.”

Mr Little later added: “He must have felt it was better and safer to leave the more articulate liar on her own.”

A court sketch of the couple at a previous hearing (PA)

Mr Little also reminded the jury that Marten had admitted in evidence that she was willing to lie.

“Twice, in evidence, she suggested she was happy to lie to protect herself and her family, and that’s precisely what she’s doing in this trial,” he told the court.

The couple both deny gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year.

They also deny 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 Old Bailey trial continues.