Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Four children taken into care (2024)

All of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's first four children were taken into care, a court has been told.

The Old Bailey heard the children were removed when a judge found there had been an incident of domestic violence.

The jury was also told police were called when the couple went to a hospital to have their first child in 2017, where they gave false names.

They deny manslaughter charges over their fifth child, baby Victoria, whose body was found in a shed.

In agreed facts read to the jury, the London court heard that Ms Marten first went to a hospital in London in June 2017 where she told them she had been living in a camper van.

Social services issued a "national hospital alert" to other parts of the NHS, which is issued when it is suspected a pregnant woman needs protection or support.

She then attended a hospital in Wales with Mr Gordon that winter where she was in the early stages of labour and admitted as an "unbooked case" - where the mother has had no NHS antenatal care.

She said her name was Isabella O'Brien, while Mr Gordon said his name was James Amer. Speaking with a fake Irish accent, she told staff she was from a travelling family, had never been to school and did not have an NHS number.

The jury heard previously that Ms Marten was from a wealthy family and by December 2022 was receiving a monthly allowance of £3,400.

When the couple's real identities were ascertained the police were called, as well as social services.

  • Follow the trial on BBC Sounds: In Court

She said they had moved to Wales to get away from her family.

It emerged that the couple had been living in a tent in a wooded area and had only bought some clothes and nappies in preparation for the arrival of their first child.

Ms Marten accompanied a social worker to the tent, which was described as a "festival" style tent not suitable for cold weather. It was bowed under rainwater and smelled stale. There were a number of black bin bags containing clothing.

The social worker later said: "I explained to her it was winter and the crowded space was wholly inappropriate for living."

The social worker also said Ms Marten told them she and Mr Gordon had an alternative lifestyle and asked them not to judge her.

The baby born in Wales in winter 2017, referred to in court as FF, was initially made the subject of an interim care order and Ms Marten lived with the baby in temporary mother and baby accommodation.

On two occasions social workers spoke to her about the risk of falling asleep with the baby on her chest.

It was explained that falling asleep with a baby on you poses significant risks due to the potential for suffocation, overheating and positional asphyxia. Their airways can easily become blocked when placed in certain positions, especially if they are sleeping on an adult's chest.

Also, the weight of an adult's body combined with the soft surface of a bed or couch can cause the baby's head to be positioned in a way that restricts their ability to breathe properly. This is known as positional asphyxia and can be extremely dangerous. Ms Marten expressed her commitment not to cause FF any harm, and promised to stick to the advice.

The jury was told that an order was made which allowed for FF to be cared for by the couple under social services supervision. This order was discharged in 2018.

After that the couple moved away from Wales, and had three more children.

But after the birth of their second child, referred to in court as GG, social services became involved again.

During one home visit, when Ms Marten was heavily pregnant, she hid her body behind a door and said she did not want social services to be "draconian".

At one point the couple left a child behind in hospital in order to attend a Family Court hearing, even though they had been offered a video link.

Once they had been separated from their children they continued to have "contact sessions" at which their interaction with the children was described as "excellent".

But their attendance at the contact sessions was inconsistent. The children were distressed by this. One child became quiet, withdrawn and inconsolable, saying on one occasion: "Mummy and daddy cancelled again."

After assessing the evidence a Family Court judge ordered that the four children should be adopted and care placement orders were made for all four children.

As well as manslaughter of baby Victoria, Ms Marten and Mr Gordon are also accused of four other offences: cruelty to their baby; concealment of the baby's birth; causing or allowing her death; and perverting the course of justice by concealing the body.

They deny all charges.

The trial continues.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Four children taken into care (2024)

FAQs

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Four children taken into care? ›

After assessing the evidence a Family Court judge ordered that the four children should be adopted and care placement orders were made for all four children.

What happened to Constance Martens' four children? ›

All of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's first four children were taken into care, a court has been told. The Old Bailey heard the children were removed when a judge found there had been an incident of domestic violence.

What is the story behind Constance Marten and Mark Gordon? ›

Mark Gordon, 50, and Constance Marten, 37, first came to public attention in January 2023 when police launched a very public manhunt after evidence of a recent birth was found in a burnt-out car near Bolton. The couple were eventually found in Brighton on 27 February but there was no sign of the baby.

Have Constance Marten and Mark Gordon been found? ›

Arrest. The couple were found and arrested in Hollingbury, Brighton, on 27 February 2023. They refused to respond to repeated questioning concerning the location of their missing child. On 1 March, their dead baby was discovered.

Why did Constance Marten go on the run? ›

"You may think that she is a lioness, talking about her children like her cubs. She loved them." Jurors have heard how the couple went on the run from authorities last year in a bid to keep their baby.

Has Constance Martens' baby been found? ›

Police footage shows moment Constance Marten's baby was found dead in Lidl carrier bag. The baby was found among items including co*ke cans and several pages of The Sun newspaper days after Marten and her partner Mark Gordon were tracked down by police.

Did Constance have 4 kids? ›

As a quick reminder, Constance Langdon mentions way back in Murder House that she has four children, but we only meet three: Tate, who fathers the Antichrist as a spirit raping a human woman; Beau, a sweet boy who is neglected and eventually murdered by his family; and Addie, a curious woman with Down syndrome who is ...

Where is Constance Martens' family home? ›

The former heiress to the multi-million pound Crichel House in Dorset, became estranged from her family after she began dating Mr Gordon.

What is the story of Maria Marten about? ›

Plot. William Corder murders country maiden Maria Marten, who is pregnant with his child, in a red barn before burying her body beneath the barn floor. Maria's gypsy lover Carlos is pursued as a suspect, but he brings Corder to justice.

Who is Mark Gordon's wife? ›

In 1998 Gordon met his current wife, the former Jennie Muir Young, and they married in 2000. Together they own the Merlin Ranch east of Buffalo in Johnson County, Wyoming.

How much is Mark Gordon worth? ›

Mark Gordon's net worth is approximately $250 million……. on a 105k salary.

Is Constance Marten related to the royal family? ›

Missing mum Constance Marten belongs to wealthy aristocratic family with ties to Royal Family. A mum who went missing with her newborn baby is related to a wealthy aristocrat and landowner with links to the Royal Family.

What happened to Constance Marten's four children? ›

She said her family were embarrassed the children didn't come from an "upper class privileged background". The court previously heard she and co-defendant Mark Gordon had four other children together. All were taken into care. The couple deny causing the death of a fifth child, a baby named Victoria.

Who was the couple whose baby died in the trial? ›

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Newborn baby who died after parents went on the run seen on CCTV for the first time. The couple deny manslaughter by gross negligence and other charges including child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.

What happened to the couple who went on the run with their baby? ›

The couple went on the run from authorities in December 2022, sparking a nationwide manhunt which culminated in their arrests. Baby Victoria was found dead in a disused shed in the Brighton area in late February 2023, with her body discovered under rubbish inside a Lidl bag-for-life.

Why did Constance Marten leave her family? ›

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey, where she and Mark Gordon, her 49-year-old partner, are on trial accused of manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria, Ms Marten claimed her wealthy family would not allow them to have children.

What happened to Constance youngest daughter? ›

However, in Apocalypse, Constance's fourth child is revealed to be a little blonde girl named Rose with no eyes, who died in the Murder House and is a ghost there alongside her brothers Tate and Beauregard.

Does Constance Marie have children? ›

Personal life. Marie was in a 15-year relationship with yoga instructor Kent Katich, which ended in September 2015. They have a daughter born in 2009. Marie is a longtime vegetarian and raised her child as a vegetarian.

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