Couple Found Guilty of Manslaughter After Baby Dies in Tent
London, July 15 — Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, the couple who went on the run with their newborn daughter, have been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence after a chaotic retrial at the Old Bailey.
The jury delivered a unanimous verdict on Monday, more than two years after the body of baby Victoria was discovered in a shopping bag in Brighton. The case triggered a nationwide manhunt in early 2023 and exposed a deeply disturbing pattern of reckless and defiant behaviour by the parents.
Marten, 38, and Gordon, 51, had already been convicted of child cruelty, concealing a birth, and perverting the course of justice — verdicts which could not be previously reported. The retrial focused on the question of whether their actions directly caused Victoria’s death. Prosecutors argued the couple knowingly endangered their child by living rough in freezing January weather in a thin tent, leading to her likely death by hypothermia or smothering.
Pathologists could not determine an exact cause of death.
The judge accused the pair of trying to “sabotage” and “derail” proceedings through repeated disruptions. Marten and Gordon refused to stand for the verdicts; Marten shook her head while Gordon sat with eyes closed, later calling the trial “unfair” and vowing to appeal.
Court records revealed Marten’s privileged upbringing and Gordon’s prior conviction for rape in the U.S., for which he served 20 years before being deported to the UK.
The couple fled authorities in January 2023, shortly after giving birth, and were found 53 days later in Brighton. Baby Victoria was found dead two days after their arrest.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the manhunt, described Victoria’s death as “completely avoidable,” saying the couple had “many opportunities to do the right thing.”
“This is a tragic case, made even more painful by the defendants’ repeated efforts to delay justice,” he said.
Sentencing is expected in September.
