In a case that has gripped the United Kingdom with its mix of aristocratic privilege, criminality, and heartbreaking tragedy, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were convicted on July 14, 2025, of gross negligence manslaughter in the death of their newborn daughter, Victoria. The couple, who had four other children taken into care, spent their lives on the run, evading authorities in a desperate bid to keep their fifth child. This article delves into the couple’s history, their repeated failures as parents, and the systemic interventions that failed to prevent the tragic outcome for baby Victoria.

A Privileged Beginning and a Troubled Path

Constance Marten, born in 1987, hails from a prominent aristocratic family with ties to the British royal family. Raised in the opulent Crichel House in Dorset, she was privately educated at St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury, and later studied journalism. Her father, Napier Marten, once served as a page to Queen Elizabeth II, and her family’s wealth, including a trust fund from the Sturt Family, provided her with significant financial resources. However, Marten’s life took a drastic turn when she met Mark Gordon in 2014 at a London incense shop.

Mark Gordon, born in 1974 in Birmingham but raised in Florida, had a far darker past. At age 14, he was convicted of raping a neighbor at knifepoint in Florida, serving 22 years of a 40-year sentence before being deported to the UK in 2010. His criminal history continued, with a 2017 conviction for assaulting two female police officers at a Welsh maternity unit where Marten gave birth to their first child under a false identity. The couple’s relationship, cemented by an unofficial marriage ceremony in Peru in 2016, was marked by instability and conflict with both authorities and Marten’s family.

A Pattern of Loss: Four Children Taken into Care

Between 2017 and 2022, Marten and Gordon had four children, all of whom were removed from their custody by UK social services due to concerns about their parenting capabilities. Court documents reveal a chaotic lifestyle, with the couple frequently moving and using false identities to evade authorities. A pivotal incident occurred in November 2019, when Marten, then 14 weeks pregnant, fell from a first-floor window in London, suffering a shattered spleen and kidney lacerations. A neighbor reported hearing screams, and paramedics found Marten in distress, with Gordon refusing immediate medical assistance. This incident, coupled with Gordon’s suspected domestic violence, led to the permanent removal of their four children, who were later adopted.

Marten claimed her family’s disapproval of her relationship with Gordon, whom she accused them of viewing as racially and socially inferior, fueled their determination to keep their children. She alleged her family hired private investigators to track them, a claim the investigators denied. The couple’s distrust of social services grew, leading them to go to extreme lengths to avoid losing their fifth child, Victoria.

The Birth of Victoria and the Decision to Flee

On Christmas Eve 2022, Marten gave birth to Victoria in a rented cottage in Northumberland without medical assistance. Determined to keep her from social services, the couple went off-grid, initiating a nationwide manhunt that began on January 5, 2023, when their Peugeot 206 caught fire on the M61 near Bolton. Inside the burnt-out car, police found a placenta, Marten’s passport, and evidence of a recent birth, triggering a high-risk missing persons investigation.

Using nearly £50,000 from Marten’s trust fund, the couple traveled across England, from Liverpool to Harwich, Essex, London, and finally East Sussex. They spent thousands on taxis, including a £350 ride from Liverpool to Harwich, possibly intending to flee the country by boat. However, Marten’s lack of a passport thwarted this plan. Their movements were erratic, often captured on CCTV showing Marten hiding Victoria under her coat or in a Lidl bag, and the couple purchasing camping equipment, including a flimsy tent unsuitable for winter conditions.

A Life on the Run: Neglect and Tragedy

By January 2023, Marten and Gordon were camping on the South Downs in East Sussex, enduring freezing temperatures near 0°C, strong winds, and damp conditions. Victoria, inadequately clothed in just a babygrow, was carried in a sling or under Marten’s jacket. Prosecutors argued that the couple’s decision to live in such conditions was “utterly reckless,” exposing Victoria to a high risk of hypothermia or smothering during co-sleeping. Marten later told police she fell asleep with Victoria under her jacket and awoke to find her lifeless, though she could not pinpoint the exact cause of death.

On February 27, 2023, after 54 days on the run, the couple was arrested in Brighton after being spotted scavenging in bins. They initially refused to disclose Victoria’s whereabouts, with Gordon callously remarking, “What’s the big deal?” Two days later, on March 1, police found Victoria’s decomposed body in a Lidl bag, buried under rubbish and soil in a disused allotment shed near Brighton. Pathologists could not determine the precise cause of death due to decomposition, but hypothermia or smothering were deemed likely.

The Legal Battle and Public Outcry

The couple’s first trial at the Old Bailey, beginning in January 2024, lasted nearly five months due to their disruptive behavior, including frequent refusals to appear in court, sacking multiple barristers (Marten went through 14), and arguing with court staff. They were found guilty of concealing the birth of a child, perverting the course of justice, and child cruelty, but the jury failed to reach verdicts on manslaughter and causing or allowing a child’s death, necessitating a retrial.

The retrial, starting March 10, 2025, was equally chaotic, with Judge Mark Lucraft KC accusing the couple of trying to “sabotage” and “derail” proceedings. On July 14, 2025, they were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, with the jury concluding their actions fell far below the standard of competent parents. Sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2025, with lengthy prison terms expected.

A Preventable Tragedy?

The case has sparked widespread debate about the failures of the social services system and the couple’s refusal to accept help. Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, who led the investigation, called their actions “selfish,” emphasizing that Victoria’s death was “completely avoidable.” Public sentiment, reflected in discussions on platforms like Reddit, expresses horror at the couple’s negligence and concern that, if released, they may repeat the cycle with future children.

As the UK grapples with this tragedy, questions remain about how a couple with access to wealth and resources could descend into such reckless behavior, prioritizing their freedom over their child’s safety. The story of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of mistrust and defiance in the face of systemic intervention.