Wicked London couple vanished with Newborn,  53 days later, a chilling discovery

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

A couple who sparked a nationwide manhunt after disappearing with their newborn baby have been found guilty of killing the child following a chilling tale of evasion, lies, and neglect.

Mark Gordon, 51, and Constance Marten, 38, both of no fixed address, were convicted today at the Old Bailey of gross negligence manslaughter after their baby, Victoria, was discovered dead inside a shopping bag at an overgrown allotment near Brighton.

The case, described by detectives as “harrowing,” began when the pair fled in January 2023 after their car burst into flames on the M61 in Greater Manchester.

Inside the vehicle, emergency workers found nappies, baby clothes and a placenta. Marten’s passport was also recovered, leading authorities to believe she had just given birth and was in urgent need of care.

But instead of seeking help, the couple vanished embarking on a 53-day odyssey across England that baffled police and horrified the public.

“This was an incredibly challenging investigation for the hundreds of officers across the UK who were involved in the search,” said Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke.

“The selfish actions of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten resulted in the death of an innocent newborn baby who would have recently had her second birthday and should have had the rest of her life ahead of her.”

According to the Met Police, court proceedings revealed that the couple had been evading authorities ever since their four previous children were taken into care.

Their movements across the country from Liverpool to Harwich, Colchester to East London, and eventually Brighton, were frantic, unpredictable, and desperate.

In East Ham, CCTV showed Marten hiding the baby under her coat. Later that day, they bought a buggy from Argos, but dumped it in an alley when they realised it was too big.

Disturbingly, they were next seen cradling the child inside a “bag for life” while dining at a Whitechapel restaurant. It was the last time baby Victoria was captured alive on camera.

The pair ultimately set up camp in the freezing wilderness of the South Downs Way. They were eventually spotted by a member of the public and arrested in Brighton on February 27, 2023 — but their baby was nowhere to be seen.

Despite police pleas, neither Gordon nor Marten would say where the child was.

“Both refused to share any information and Gordon instead continually asked for food,” the court heard.

Days later, on March 1, officers searching a nearby allotment made the grim discovery. Baby Victoria’s tiny body was found stuffed inside a shopping bag in a shed.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the search, called the baby’s death “completely avoidable.”

“The couple had plenty of opportunities to do the right thing and come forward to ask for help. They knew that officers were looking for them,” Basford said.

“We have waited more than two years to secure justice for baby Victoria… despite her parents trying to disrupt and derail not one, but two trials.”

He added with emotion: “Speaking personally as a father, I find it hard to comprehend how, instead of providing the warmth and care their child needed, Mark Gordon and Constance Marten chose to live outside during freezing conditions to avoid the authorities.”

Pathologists were unable to determine the precise cause of death, though Marten claimed the baby died in her sleep, a claim she failed to elaborate on.

Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police described the impact of the case on the community as “profound.”

“Our thoughts remain with baby Victoria and extend to her wider family,” he said. “I hope the conclusion of these criminal proceedings will give everyone the space to begin to come to terms with the traumatic events of the last 28 months.”

The sentencing date for Gordon and Marten has not yet been set.

“We know today’s verdict won’t bring Victoria back,” said DCI Yorke, “but I am pleased our investigation has resulted in the couple who caused her death finally being brought to justice.”