Couple Appear in Court After Baby’s Remains Found in Allotment

Mark Gordon and Constance Marten in this handout combination photo provided on Jan. 18, 2023. Metropolitan Police via AP

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been remanded into custody after a court heard the remains of a baby were found in a plastic bag under some nappies in an allotment shed.

The couple appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Friday accused of three charges: gross negligent manslaughter, concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice.

Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth, and that they were of no fixed abode during a short hearing in front of a packed courtroom.

Gordon wore a grey jumper over his head throughout the hearing.

The aristocrat and her partner were charged with the offences on Thursday after the remains of the infant were found the day before following a major two-day search operation.

The pair will appear at the Old Bailey on March 31.

Marten and Gordon were arrested in Stanmer Villas in Brighton on Monday after police attempted to establish their whereabouts over the course of several weeks.

A post-mortem examination on the baby’s remains is due to take place on Friday.

According to the BBC, Barry Hughes, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, told the court, “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.”

Police officers work in an urgent search operation to find the missing baby of Constance Marten, who has not had any medical attention since birth in early January, in Roedale Valley Allotments, Brighton, UK, on Feb. 28, 2023. Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP

Unknown Gender

Marten and Gordon were detained following a 53-day missing persons search that led to a wooded area in East Sussex.

Hundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters, and drones were drafted in to look for the infant.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, from the Met, previously said officers have been unable to determine the infant’s cause of death or gender.

The case was referred to the police watchdog by the force, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct said in a statement that it is “currently assessing the referral to determine what, if any, further action is required from us.”

Remanding Marten and Gordon into custody, chairwoman of the bench of magistrates Carol Lintott said: “You are both here today … on charges of manslaughter, concealment of the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice.

“We are sending the case to the crown court sitting at the Old Bailey.

“We are remanding you in custody until that time.”

Timeline

Their court appearance comes almost eight weeks after the couple’s blazing car was found abandoned on the hard shoulder of the M61 in Bolton on Jan. 5.

Greater Manchester police discovered they had walked away from the car to the Anchor Lane Bridge.

The family are then reported to have travelled to Liverpool and on to Essex before making their way into London. They later travelled to east Sussex.

On Jan. 18 the Metropolitan Police made a public appeal for help finding the family and later offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the family being found safe.

On Feb. 7, Marten’s mother Virginie de Selliers published an open letter to her daughter, pledging to support her and telling her “you are not alone.”

On Feb. 21, the Metropolitan Police made yet another public appeal to find the family, including a plea from midwife Shereen Nimmo to Marten to get her baby medical attention.

The couple were arrested less than a week later, on Feb. 27, after a tip-off from a member of the public.

After a massive search involving hundreds of police officers and search teams scouring a 90-square-mile area, Basford confirmed on Wednesday that the remains of a baby were found in a wooded area.

PA Media contributed to this report.