Constance Marten breaks down in court docket as she denies killing child
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On-the-run mom Constance Marten has denied harming her new child daughter, saying: ‘I did nothing however present her love.’
Aristocrat Marten, 36, and her accomplice Mark Gordon, 49, are on trial over the loss of life of child Victoria whereas residing off-grid in a tent on the South Downs in wintry situations final yr.
On Thursday, Marten went into the witness field to present proof in her defence after Gordon declined the chance earlier within the week.
Defence barrister Francis FitzGibbon KC requested her: ‘Did you do something to hurt child Victoria?’
Marten replied: ‘Absolutely not.’ Mr FitzGibbon mentioned: ‘Did you do something merciless to child Victoria?’
Marten mentioned: ‘No. I did nothing however present her love.’ She advised jurors she didn’t expose her child to chilly or enable her to get too sizzling as far as she was conscious.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Constance Marten showing on the Old Bailey, central London, the place she is on trial along with her accomplice Mark Gordon over the loss of life of their new child daughter Victoria
Constance Marten (pictured) is accused of inflicting the loss of life of Victoria by taking her on the run in January final yr to stop her being taken away by social providers
Marten advised jurors how she got here from a rich household and was privately educated earlier than learning Arabic at Leeds University
Mark Gordon (pictured) 49, declined the chance to present proof final week
Mr FitzGibbon mentioned: ‘So far as you might be involved, did you give her something lower than the right care you thought she deserved?’
Marten replied: ‘I gave her the very best that any mom would, yeah.’
She advised jurors Victoria died final January 9, saying: ‘I don’t assume it’s something I’ll ever transfer on from.’
She mentioned: ‘I really feel responsible as a result of she was in my arms. I really feel prefer it’s not a straightforward factor to reside with’, including: ‘I believe initially it was disbelief, shock, intense grief.’
Greater Manchester Police had launched a nationwide search after a placenta was discovered within the couple’s burnt-out automobile by the motorway close to Bolton, Greater Manchester, final January 5.
It is alleged the defendants went on the run as a result of they wished to maintain their daughter, after 4 different kids had been taken into care.
Jurors noticed footage of Victoria being lifted out of a taxi by the aristocrat and her lover earlier than they sat down in a kebab store and positioned her in a big buggy
Marten and Gordon deny manslaughter by gross negligence, concealment of the beginning of a kid, cruelty to an individual beneath 16 and perverting the course of justice
Days after the defendants’ arrest final February 27, Victoria’s badly decomposed physique was present in a Lidl bag inside an allotment shed in Brighton, East Sussex.
While the reason for her loss of life is ‘unascertained’, jurors have heard she may have died from the chilly or co-sleeping.
Marten advised police Victoria died when she fell asleep within the tent whereas holding her beneath her jacket.
The court docket has heard Marten had beforehand been warned by social employees of the dangers of falling asleep with the infant on her and {that a} tent could be ‘wholly inappropriate for a child to reside in’.
Marten advised jurors how she got here from a rich household and was privately educated earlier than learning Arabic at Leeds University.
She went on to journey extensively to Egypt, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Uganda and South America and labored for Al Jazeera, the Middle Eastern information station.
She met Gordon in 2014 in an store promoting incense they usually had a wedding ceremony in Peru two years later, though it was not legally binding.
She mentioned Gordon didn’t meet her family members as the connection along with her household had ‘damaged down’ and there was a ‘lengthy historical past of points’.
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
Jurors had been advised how her belief fund was ‘lower off in a single day’ when she was closely pregnant along with her first youngster however by the point of her second, she was being given some £2,000 a month.
Marten denied ever fascinated by giving beginning in a tent when her first child was born in 2017.
Mr FitzGibbon requested: ‘Do you recall being given any recommendation by anyone at the moment in regards to the danger of falling asleep while breastfeeding a child?’
She replied: ‘I used to be a number of months later once I was within the mom and child unit.’
Marten mentioned she had a ‘dangerous expertise’ with the beginning of her first youngster within the NHS and felt she had made a ‘wager with the satan’ in her dealings with social providers.
She mentioned turned distrustful after she was suggested towards giving beginning to her second youngster at dwelling as a result of the infant was ‘enormous’.
She mentioned: ‘I panicked and obtained a personal scan. They mentioned there may be nothing incorrect, in fact you possibly can have a house beginning.’
Marten additionally researched hypnobirth, however added: ‘I do assume that it is best to have scans to test the infant is in the best place and child is OK however I do not assume midwifery is important. Once you have got had your first youngster a lady is sort of intuitive.’
The couple’s burnt out automobile on the M61. The automobile was discovered burning on the M61 close to Manchester
The couple are seen strolling by means of Whitechapel late at evening on January 7 2023
Challenged on the prosecution suggestion she and Gordon put their pursuits forward of the kids, she mentioned: ‘No, there may be actually nothing I might not do for my kids.’
Ahead of a break in her proof, Judge Mark Lucraft KC warned her to not converse to anybody and famous seeing Gordon move her a be aware earlier than she started her proof.
He advised her: ‘He should not do this. It’s you giving proof, not him.’
The defendants, of no mounted deal with, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the beginning of a kid, youngster cruelty and inflicting or permitting the loss of life of a kid.
Marten mentioned her household had lower her off ‘in a single day’ when she was eight and a half months pregnant.
She mentioned her three brothers had all bought homes with cash from the belief however she was handled in a different way.
‘They deal with me fairly completely different as a result of they do not agree with my marriage and the alternatives I’ve made.’
Teddy bears, playing cards, flowers and candles are left in Brighton in March final yr
Marten gave beginning to her first youngster in Wales pretending to be a traveller known as Isabella O’Brien.
She mentioned she gave the false identify to keep away from her household.
Mr FitzGibbon requested if she now felt that was incorrect.
Marten mentioned: ‘I imply, I’ll do something to guard my youngster, myself and my household, however I believe what was naïve was the story I gave of being a traveller which drew consideration.
‘But I might have nonetheless used a pretend identify.’
She mentioned she had been residing in a tent in Wales with Gordon but it surely was not their intention to present beginning there or keep afterwards.
‘I really requested from the midwife, I mentioned we had nowhere to go that was appropriate.
‘I really feel like I made a wager with the satan as a result of I requested them for social providers’ assist and that was in all probability the worst resolution.’
Mr FitzGibbon requested why. Marten replied: ‘Because they, I’ve to watch out what I say, however from my perspective of getting gone by means of the system with social providers I do not imagine they’re there to assist dad and mom really, or kids.’
She mentioned she went right into a mom and daughter foster care placement and the foster carers advised her she mustn’t lay down with the infant on the mattress to breastfeed.
The couple then moved to London and a second youngster was born at dwelling in a birthing pool in 2019.
A photos reveals the within of the couple’s burnt out automobile. The child’s placenta was discovered within the automobile, the Old Bailey heard
She mentioned she has a ‘slight mistrust’ of the NHS as a result of they advised her her second youngster was too massive for a house beginning however a personal scan mentioned she could be positive.
Marten mentioned she had a personal midwife however she arrived late – simply earlier than the umbilical chord was lower.
The aristocrat mentioned she believes mendacity down to present beginning can delay the method and he or she believes in squatting and entering into a peaceful state with low lighting and respiration workouts.’
Jurors heard her first youngster had every part they wanted together with a bouncy fort of their room.
Marten mentioned her third and fourth kids had been taken away from her at beginning.
Her barrister requested if she had ever carried out something to hurt any of her kids.
Marten wept as she mentioned: ‘Absolutely not and that is the unhappy factor, Mark and I like our children greater than something on the planet.
‘So I’m fairly offended in regards to the truth they’ve needed to undergo this course of not being with us.’
Asked if she put her pursuits earlier than theirs she mentioned: ‘No, there’s actually nothing I would not do for my kids.’
Marten then referred to the ‘agreed information’ that are information agreed between her, Gordon and the prosecution in regards to the involvement of social providers with their first 4 kids.
Police officers and officers from London Search and Rescue (LONSAR) in woodland at Wild Park Local Nature Reserve, close to Moulsecoomb, Brighton, through the pressing search operation to seek out the infant of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
She mentioned: ‘In regards to the agreed information if there was any challenge of hurt in direction of any of our youngsters it might be within the agreed information so for this reason our youngsters are not with us- this doc explains that.’
Marten mentioned she believed her household was liable for social providers changing into concerned along with her kids in 2017.
The agreed information state it occurred after her father utilized for wardship.
She mentioned she didn’t agree with the eventual resolution to take the kids away.
‘It was some of the disgraceful instances, if anybody seems at it correctly from the surface with an goal thoughts they’d see how disgraceful it was.’
She mentioned since being in jail she has discovered a barrister who was once a High Court choose to look at the case.
Marten mentioned she nonetheless wished to have kids with Gordon and the unique plan was to maneuver overseas with the fifth youngster.
‘We wished to maneuver overseas however we had been unable to take action as a result of a member of my household took me to court docket.
‘We thought it had been lifted but it surely put a cease on our travelling so we had plans however they fell by means of.’
Marten burst into tears as she added: ‘I wished Victoria with me for the primary three or six months of her life so I may give her the love that she wants as a result of I do not assume it is honest for any youngster to be faraway from their dad or mum.’
The couple had been transferring round no less than each three days in order that no native authority may declare jurisdiction over the kid.
The choose warned Gordon he should not focus on Marten’s proof along with her whereas she was giving it.
When Gordon didn’t reply, he mentioned ‘I’m taking your lack of acknowledgement that you have heard me’ and Gordon mentioned he had.
The trial continues.
