Runaway Aristocrat and Convict Lover Found Guilty in Baby’s Death

London. In a high-profile case that has gripped the nation, aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been found guilty of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria.

The verdict was delivered at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, following a lengthy trial that exposed harrowing details of the couple’s flight from authorities and the tragic fate of their child.

Marten, 38, and Gordon, 50, went on the run in January 2023 after their car was found ablaze on a motorway near Manchester, with police later discovering a placenta in the vehicle. Authorities soon realized the couple were attempting to evade social services, who had previously removed four of their children over concerns for their welfare.

The couple’s desperate attempt to keep baby Victoria from being taken into care sparked a nationwide search, with police devoting over £1.2 million and hundreds of officers to the manhunt.

Their journey, which saw them travel by taxi across multiple cities and ultimately camp in freezing conditions on the South Downs, ended in tragedy. Victoria died in a makeshift tent, exposed to the cold. Instead of seeking help, Marten and Gordon concealed their daughter’s body in a plastic bag and hid it in an abandoned shed, where it was found weeks later after a painstaking search.

Both Marten and Gordon denied responsibility throughout the trial. After the guilty verdict, Gordon shouted in court that the decision was "faulty and unlawful," while Marten stormed out, declaring the proceedings "a scam."

It was revealed during the trial that the pair had already been convicted of child cruelty, concealment of birth, and perverting the course of justice.

The case also shed light on Gordon’s violent criminal history.

A convicted rapist, Gordon spent 20 years in a US prison for a series of brutal attacks committed as a teenager. Experts likened his behavior to notorious serial killers, describing him as a dangerous sociopath.

Despite her privileged background — Marten is the heir to a multimillion-pound trust fund and comes from a family with close ties to the Royal Family — she relied on taxpayer-funded legal aid, with the defense hiring 19 lawyers at a cost of over £600,000.

Throughout the investigation, the couple attempted to delay and disrupt proceedings, repeatedly lying to authorities and spinning conspiracy theories involving social services and Marten’s aristocratic family.

Prosecutors described their behavior as "grandstanding on a Premier League level," with one official stating that "lies fell from her mouth like confetti in the wind."

The case has prompted calls for reform, with police and child protection experts arguing for new laws to safeguard children at risk—even before birth.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the investigation, emphasized that the tragedy was entirely preventable and that Marten and Gordon had numerous opportunities to seek help for their daughter but instead chose to evade authorities.

“Today, the justice we have long fought for has finally been served for baby Victoria,” Basford said after the verdict. “She should have celebrated her second birthday, but her life was taken away by those who should have protected her. This case must lead to meaningful change so that no other child suffers a similar fate.”

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are due to be sentenced on September 15.