Constance Marten’s new child is seen for the primary time
Jurors have been proven the primary footage of a new child child whose physique was later discovered inside a Lidl ‘bag for all times’ after her aristocrat mom and associate went on the run.
Constance Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of inflicting the demise of child Victoria by dwelling in a tent ‘off grid’ in the midst of winter so she wouldn’t be taken away from them by social providers.
A placenta was present in a burnt-out automotive on a Manchester motorway on January 5 2023 sparking an enormous police hunt because the couple traversed the nation looking for an escape route from the UK, the Old Bailey has heard.
The defendants spent a whole lot of kilos on taxis taking them from the North West to Essex and on to east London. Last February, the couple had been arrested in East Sussex and the physique of child Victoria was present in a Lidl grocery store bag lined in garbage inside a disused shed after she allegedly froze to demise.
Previously, CCTV of the couple appeared to indicate a bulge the place the infant had been bundled up beneath Marten’s coat and wrapped in a blanket or towel.
However, jurors had been right now proven footage of the tragic new child for the primary time as her dad and mom, wrapped in large jackets, transported her across the UK in only a babygrow in January final 12 months.
Jurors noticed Victoria being lifted out of a taxi earlier than the aristocrat and her lover sat down in a kebab store and positioned her in a brand new buggy which gave the impression to be too massive for a new child.
JANUARY 7: Jurors had been proven little Victoria’s face for the primary time as her dad and mom sat inside a kebab store
JANUARY 7: In different footage, Marten is seen protecting the infant below her coat earlier than unzipping it and exposing her
JANUARY 7: This video exhibits the infant arriving on East Ham High Street with Gordon, who then passes Victoria to Marten
JANUARY 7: Jurors had been informed the couple went on to Whitechapel (pictured) the place Gordon purchased a tent at Argos earlier than heading to Newhaven in East Sussex
Constance Marten (left), 36, and Mark Gordon (proper), 49, are accused of inflicting the demise of child Victoria
It comes after cab driver Colette Franklin, who took the defendants from Harwich to Colchester for £30, informed the court docket how Gordon ‘slid down his seat’ when a police automotive got here in the direction of them. She informed the court docket she couldn’t take them on to London.
Taxi driver Razvan Palcu was then approached by Marten in Colchester and requested if he would take her to East Ham, together with her paying greater than £100 upfront for the journey, the court docket heard.
Mr Palcu mentioned: ‘The feminine informed me to drag over as we wanted to select her husband up from the Castle Pub.
‘A male got here and bought inside. He unzipped his jacket, took a child out and handed it to the feminine.’
On arriving at East Ham, video exhibits Gordon passing the tiny child out of one other cab to Marten, who was standing close to the door holding a Lidl bag.
Footage clearly confirmed the dark-haired little one wearing a babygrow, together with her arms, fingers and arms transferring round.
Further footage proven to jurors right now confirmed Marten standing exterior a store known as Special Connection whereas protecting the infant below her coat. She is then seen unzipping her jacket to disclose child Victoria.
She appeared to cradle the kid in her arms to consolation her as members of the general public walked previous.
Jurors then considered a clip of Gordon shopping for a buggy in Argos whereas Marten sat at a desk in a German doner kebab store.
When Gordon returned, Marten in seen placing the infant into the massive buggy and her face is seen on digicam once more. The couple then cowl her.
Constance Marten (pictured) and her associate have been accused of killing Victoria by taking her on the run in January final 12 months to stop her from being taken away by social providers
JANUARY 7: The couple are seen sitting in a German doner kebab store, placing the infant in a brand new buggy
JANUARY 7: Jurors had been for the primary time proven child Victoria’s face, weeks earlier than she was discovered useless
JANUARY 7: Once they put the infant within the buggy, they’re then seen masking it
JANUARY 7: Baby Victoria is saved zipped up inside Marten’s jacket as she waits exterior a store in East Ham
JANUARY 7: Marten then unzips the jacket and exposes the infant who’s wearing only a babygrow to the chilly
Prosecutor Joel Smith informed jurors: ‘You can see whereas Ms Marten is assembling the buggy the infant’s arms transferring to her left.’
Gordon sat within the dock and lined his face together with his hand because the footage was proven in court docket.
His defence barrister, John Femi-Ola KC, spoke briefly to him and requested for a brief break as his shopper was discovering it ‘fairly traumatic’.
Marten, who was later captured on digicam shopping for a dummy in Boots, has not attended court docket for her trial.
Jurors had been informed the couple went on to Whitechapel the place Gordon purchased a tent at Argos earlier than heading to Newhaven in East Sussex.
Last January 12, Marten was captured on movie at a Texaco storage in East Sussex, jurors had been informed.
After that the ‘path went chilly’ till final February 20 after they had been noticed close to a golf course membership home, Mr Smith mentioned.
A footage exhibits the within of the couple’s burnt out automotive. The child’s placenta was discovered within the car, the Old Bailey heard
The couple’s burnt out automotive on the M61. The automotive was discovered burning on the M61 close to Manchester
An picture dated January 5, 2023 from the Metropolitan Police of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten’s burning Peugeot 206 on the M61, which was performed in court docket throughout their trial
Marten’s mom Virginie de Selliers (pictured on 25 January) was in court docket right now
He informed jurors that by then Gordon was utilizing a department as a makeshift strolling stick and the defendants had been ‘rummaging by means of bins’.
They had been lastly tracked down within the outskirts of Brighton the place they had been arrested final February 27.
Dog walker Paul Rogers informed the the court docket he noticed the defendants close to Hollingbury golf course in Brighton.
He mentioned: ‘As I bought nearer to them I seen they seemed a bit dishevelled, a bit soiled, probably homeless folks.
‘The man was carrying plastic baggage, a bag in every hand. The lady was pushing a buggy. They did not have anything with them.
‘I don’t recall whether or not there was something within the buggy.’
Mr Smith requested: ‘At any level, did you see or hear a child?’
Mr Rogers mentioned: ‘I did not, no.’
Motorist Tim Morris was on Coldean Lane, Brighton, on the morning of final February 18 when he noticed a pair he thought had been the defendants, the court docket was informed.
He informed jurors: ‘The factor I seen concerning the woman was she had an enormous coat on with one thing beneath. The coat was finished up.
‘I right away thought there was a toddler below the coat and it was being saved heat.
‘It appeared fairly odd she was fairly far behind (the person) and nearly dragging her heels. It did not appear proper.
‘I mentioned to my associate ‘they appear to be that couple within the information’ and she or he mentioned ‘sure there’s positively one thing beneath the coat and it might be just a little’un’.’
A court docket artist’s sketch of prosecutor Tom Little KC making his opening assertion whereas being watched from the dock by defendant Mark Gordon on the Old Bailey in London final Thursday
Earlier, taxi driver Ms Franklin defined how she had taken the couple from Harwich to Colchester on January 7.
She mentioned: ‘I informed them I might take them to Colchester they usually may get a prepare from there. But the feminine requested to be dropped off within the city centre as an alternative.
‘I seen at one level when a police automotive was coming in the direction of us on the street the male slid down in his seat.
‘At first I assumed this was unusual however as he stayed on this place after the police automotive handed by means of so I assumed he should have been extra snug sitting that method.’
She mentioned that 20 minutes later she bought a name from the police asking her concerning the couple she had dropped off.
The driver was informed to analysis the identify Mark Gordon and she or he immediately recognised him and Marten because the pair who had been in her automotive.
They had been finally taken to East Ham by one other taxi driver, Mr Palcu.
Nicola Hutton was on a bus in East Ham when she noticed Marten strolling down the High Street round noon.
She mentioned Marten was alone loitering trying right into a window of a store promoting ‘pink skimpy clothes’.
‘I noticed her trying into the store window for a few minute earlier than she moved on. She was slowly ambling, not in a rush to get anyplace and was transferring round.
She would take steps ahead right here and there and her physique language led me to consider she did not have any goal at that second in time.
Teddy bears, playing cards, flowers and candles are left in Brighton in March final 12 months
‘Based on the best way she was dressed I assumed she is perhaps homeless. She seemed very scruffy and was clothes within the store window that may look fairly uncommon for somebody homeless.
‘I keep in mind considering ‘Oh, there are some odd folks in London.’
‘I’m not the kind of one who would telephone the police about one thing like this until I’m positive about it.’
In an announcement learn to the court docket, Valentina Burley mentioned she noticed the couple when she was jogging in Harwich Park on 7 January 2023.
‘I did not suppose they had been ready for the ferry due to the time,’ she mentioned.
‘As I used to be approaching I may hear a child crying loudly.
‘I questioned why they had been exterior within the chilly with a child and thought in the event that they had been ready for a prepare they might wait inside.’
The defendants, of no fastened deal with, deny manslaughter by gross negligence of the little woman between January 4 and February 27 final 12 months.
They are additionally charged with perverting the course of justice, concealing the beginning of a kid, little one cruelty and inflicting or permitting the demise of a kid.
