A British aristocrat and her partner were convicted on Monday for the death of their newborn daughter, following a high-profile case that gripped the UK in 2023.
Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter in their second trial at London’s Central Criminal Court. In an earlier trial, they had already been convicted of perverting the course of justice, concealing a birth, and child cruelty.
Marten had given birth in secret to a baby girl named Victoria, after authorities had previously removed her four other children due to concerns for their safety. Despite her privileged background—including wealthy parents, royal family connections, and a personal trust fund—Marten chose to abandon her aristocratic life. The couple lived off-grid, often without paying rent, scavenging food from bins, and camping outdoors in freezing temperatures.
To evade detection, Marten and Gordon traveled across the country in taxis, spending hundreds of pounds while avoiding bank cards or mobile phones that could reveal their location. Their disappearance prompted a nationwide search.
They were arrested in Brighton on February 27, 2023, but refused to disclose the baby’s whereabouts. When questioned about the infant, Gordon—who previously served over 20 years in a U.S. prison for rape—dismissively responded, “What’s the big deal?”
Two days later, authorities discovered the decomposed body of baby Victoria hidden in a shopping bag under rubbish in a garden shed. Prosecutors said the child likely died from either hypothermia or suffocation.
The case has sparked outrage and renewed calls for greater oversight of vulnerable children and those who care for them.
