Constance Marten trial – latest updates: Jury retires to consider verdict of manslaughter-accused couple
The jury in the trial of aristocrat Constance Marten has been given a majority direction by the judge.
Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in wintry conditions last January.
In a bid to keep their baby after four previous children were taken into care, the couple had gone on the run and evaded police for nearly two months. Following their arrest, Victoria’s badly decomposed remains were found in a Lidl shopping bag in an allotment shed.
The couple deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year, charges of perverting the course of justice by concealing the body, along with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
At 12.30pm on Monday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC gave the 10-strong jury a majority direction, saying he would accept verdicts on which nine of them agreed.
Jury retires for couple weeks
16:54 , Crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin at Old Bailey
The jury in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon has been sent home for a couple of weeks.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC told them to return to resume deliberations on 17 June.
The pair both deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria after weeks on the run.
Jury given majority direction
14:19 , Sam Rkaina
A jury in the trial of fugitive mother Constance Marten has been given a majority direction.
Wealthy aristocrat Marten, 37, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, are charged over the death of their daughter Victoria, who died after they went off-grid on the South Downs.
The couple had fled authorities in January 2023 in an attempt to keep their newborn child after four other children were taken into care, the Old Bailey trial has heard.
They were arrested in Brighton on February 27 2023, two days before Victoria’s decomposed body was found inside a Lidl bag in a disused allotment shed.
The defendants, of no fixed address, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and causing or allowing the death of a child.
The jury has been deliberating for some 60 hours.
At 12.30pm on Monday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC gave the 10-strong jury a majority direction, saying he would accept verdicts on which nine of them were agreed.
Jury resumes deliberations
10:30 , Tara Cobham
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.
The pair both deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria after weeks on the run.
Jury have been sent home for the day
Thursday 30 May 2024 16:30 , Holly Evans
The jury in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who are accused over the death of their baby, has been sent home.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC told them to return to resume deliberations on Monday.
Jury resumes deliberations
Thursday 30 May 2024 11:13 , Holly Evans
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria after weeks on the run.
Jury have been sent home for the day
Thursday 23 May 2024 16:32 , Holly Evans
The jury in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who are accused over the death of their baby, has been sent home.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC told them to return to resume deliberations next Thursday, 30 May.
Jury resumes deliberations
Thursday 23 May 2024 12:12 , Holly Evans
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria
Jury sent home to return on Thursday
Wednesday 22 May 2024 16:37 , Joe Middleton
The jury in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who are accused over the death of their baby, has been sent home.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC told them to return to resume deliberations at 11.30am on Thursday.
Jury resumes deliberations
Wednesday 22 May 2024 10:18 , Joe Middleton
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria
Jury sent home to return on Wednesday
Tuesday 21 May 2024 16:15 , Holly Evans
The jury in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who are accused over the death of their baby, has been sent home.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC told them to return to resume deliberations at 9.30am on Wednesday.
Jury sent home for the day
Monday 20 May 2024 16:09 , Holly Evans
The jury have now been sent home after a day of deliberations and will return on Tuesday.
Jury resumes deliberations
Monday 20 May 2024 13:39 , Tom Barnes
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria.
Jury resumes deliberations
Monday 20 May 2024 10:16 , Holly Evans
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria
Jurors retired on Monday morning to consider their verdicts after a seven day break.
Jury sent home for the day
Wednesday 8 May 2024 16:33 , Holly Evans
The jury have now been sent home after a day of deliberations, and will not return to continue their discussions until Monday 20 May.
Jury resumes deliberations
Wednesday 8 May 2024 11:02 , Holly Evans
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria.
Jury retires for the day
Tuesday 7 May 2024 16:42 , Holly Evans
The jury has been dismissed for the day and will resume deliberations at 10am tomorrow.
Jury resumes deliberations
Tuesday 7 May 2024 10:52 , Holly Evans at the Old Bailey
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the Old Bailey trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who deny manslaughter by gross negligence of their baby daughter Victoria
Jurors retired on Tuesday morning to consider their verdicts.
Jury sent home
Thursday 2 May 2024 16:51 , Joe Middleton
The jury has been sent home for the day and will continue its deliberations in the trial of aristocrat Constance Marten on Friday.
Jury resumes deliberations
Thursday 2 May 2024 11:36 , Joe Middleton
Good morning,
The jury has resumed its deliberations in the trial of aristocrat Constance Marten.
Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures last January.
The couple deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year, charges of perverting the course of justice by concealing the body, along with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
Jury retires to consider verdicts
Thursday 25 April 2024 15:18 , Sam Rkaina
The jury in the trial of aristocrat Constance Marten has retired to consider their verdicts.
Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures last January.
The couple deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year, charges of perverting the course of justice by concealing the body, along with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
