Constance Marten and partner convicted over baby daughter’s death

14 Jul 2025 • 9:31 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Aristocrat Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence in the death of their newborn daughter, Victoria.
  • The couple went “off-grid” with their baby to prevent her from being taken into care, as their four previous children had already been removed by social services.
  • Jurors were told that Victoria died in January 2023 while the family was camping in a thin tent in wintry conditions, after Marten fell asleep with the baby zipped inside her jacket.
  • Prosecutors argued the parents’ “reckless, utterly selfish and callous” conduct led to the “entirely avoidable” death of the infant, who was deprived of warmth, shelter, and food.
  • The parents, who denied manslaughter, insisted that Victoria’s death was a tragic accident and they should not be blamed.

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