Parents convicted over death of newborn

Two parents have been found guilty of the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, who died after they took her to live in a tent in freezing wintry conditions to evade social services.

- Kevin Rawlinson Jamie Grierson

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who had had their first four children taken into care, went on the run with their fifth, a baby girl named Victoria, shortly after her birth in December 2022.

Despite having access to thousands of pounds from her trust fund, Marten and Gordon insisted on living off-grid, hoping to avoid having a fifth child taken into the state's care.

Prosecutors said they spent thousands on taxis to take them almost the length of England as they tried to evade the authorities, but could not find the wherewithal to provide adequate clothing and care for Victoria.

It was their insistence on keeping her with them - even if that meant her being placed in "utterly reckless, utterly dangerous" conditions in a tent in winter - that ultimately made Victoria's death inevitable, the prosecutor Tom Little KC told the court during their trial at the Old Bailey.

The background of social services' involvement with the family was also important, he said, because the defendants had been told of the dangers, including of sleeping in a tent with a young child.

Speaking after the verdicts were delivered, DCI Joanna Yorke, who led the investigation, said the couple's "selfish actions" had resulted in the death of a baby who should have had the rest of her life ahead of her.