Aristocrat Constance Marten, 38, and her partner Mark Gordon, 51, have been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria, while they were on the run. They were found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing the birth and perverting the course of justice following two trials. Victoria died from hypothermia on the South Downs in January 2023.

They fled authorities to prevent Victoria being taken into care, after four other siblings had previously been placed in care. Their car caught fire on a motorway near Bolton on 5 January 2023; the couple travelled across England and slept in a tent on the South Downs, where Victoria died days later. After seven weeks on the run they were arrested in Brighton. Victoria’s remains were found in rubbish inside a Lidl bag in a disused shed nearby, and were too decomposed to determine the cause of death. CCTV footage showed the baby wearing a teddy bear motif babygro, and a major police alert followed the couple’s attempts to keep her hidden.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC handed Marten and Gordon 14-year sentences, with Gordon receiving a further four years on extended licence. He rejected the defence claim that Victoria had been smothered during sleep and said she died from significant cold stress. The judge noted a lack of care for the child and described the couple’s conduct as arrogant and negligent. Tributes from family members included remarks on Marten’s remorse; Gordon’s counsel said he had suffered distress and remorse for his actions and their consequences. Jurors in the first trial were not told about Gordon’s violent past, which emerged in the second trial, including offences in Florida in 1989. The case also highlighted prior incidents that led to other children being taken into care.