Constance Marten, 38, and her partner Mark Gordon, 51, have been sentenced to 14 years each for the gross negligence manslaughter of their baby daughter, Victoria. Gordon will face an additional four years on extended license following the sentence.
The couple were also found guilty of multiple other charges, including perverting the course of justice, child cruelty, and concealing the birth of a child.
Baby Victoria died in early 2023 after Marten and Gordon fled from social services and lived off-grid in a tent during freezing winter conditions. The baby’s decomposed body was later discovered inside a shed in Brighton, in a shopping bag, following a seven-week nationwide search.
Prosecutors argued the death resulted from hypothermia and “significant cold stress” while the couple avoided detection by authorities. The judge ruled that neither parent had given much thought to the care or welfare of their newborn.
During its pursuit, a burnt-out car belonging to Marten and Gordon with a placenta inside was found near Bolton. The couple then traveled across England using taxis and avoiding traceable financial transactions.
The sentence underscores the severity the court placed on their actions, calling their neglect “of the gravest and most serious type” and rejecting the defense’s claim that the baby’s death was purely accidental. Their older children had previously been removed from their care due to concerns over risk of harm.