LONDON (BN24) — A British woman from an aristocratic family and her partner, a convicted rapist, were sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison for the death of their newborn daughter, whose body was discovered in a shopping bag on a vegetable patch after the couple fled police and lived off-grid in freezing conditions.
Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were convicted of manslaughter at London’s Old Bailey after a retrial that followed a hung jury last year. The pair were also found guilty of child cruelty, concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice.
Marten, whose family has historic ties to the British royal family, shook her head as the verdicts were read, while Gordon, deported from the United States after serving 22 years in prison for a violent rape and kidnapping, sat motionless with his eyes closed.
The case drew widespread attention across Britain. Authorities launched a seven-week search in January 2023 after a placenta was found in the couple’s burned-out car near Manchester. Despite Marten’s privileged background and access to a trust fund, she and Gordon evaded police by camping in tents, scavenging from trash bins, and moving frequently before they were arrested in Brighton.
Days later, their baby, Victoria, was discovered dead. Marten told investigators that the infant suffocated accidentally while she held her under her jacket to keep her warm in the tent. Prosecutors argued the couple’s decision to remain outdoors in subzero conditions was reckless and directly caused the child’s death.
“Today, the justice we have long fought for has finally been served for baby Victoria,” said Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford of the Metropolitan Police. “The selfish actions of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten resulted in the death of a newborn baby who should have had the rest of her life ahead of her.”
The tragedy underscored years of instability. Marten had been estranged from her wealthy family since beginning a relationship with Gordon in 2016. The couple’s four other children had already been taken into care by authorities, prompting them to go on the run with Victoria shortly after her birth.
Crown prosecutor Samantha Yelland said the couple’s “reckless actions were driven by a selfish desire to keep their baby no matter the cost — resulting in her tragic death.”
The trial also revealed Gordon’s violent past. In 1989, at age 14, he raped a woman at knifepoint in Florida, holding her captive for more than four hours. He later committed another assault involving aggravated battery and was sentenced to 40 years in prison before being released after 22 years. He was deported to the UK following his release.
Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, who led the investigation, acknowledged the case’s emotional toll. “We know today’s verdict won’t bring Victoria back, but I am pleased our investigation has resulted in the couple who caused her death finally being brought to justice,” she said.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said the 14-year sentence reflected the preventable nature of the baby’s death. “No child should have had its life cut short in this preventable way,” he said. “I hope today’s sentences provide a sense of justice and comfort to all those affected.”
The sentencing closes a harrowing case that highlighted how privilege, violence, and desperation collided in a story that gripped Britain and ended in the avoidable death of a newborn.
