Millionaire’s Daughter, Homeless Nightmare—WHY!?

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after exposing their newborn daughter to freezing conditions, leading to her death.

At a Glance

• Constance Marten and Mark Gordon went on the run after their fourth child was removed from care.
• The couple lived off-grid in a tent in freezing temperatures for over seven weeks.
• The newborn baby, Victoria, was found deceased in a shed wrapped in a plastic shopping bag.
• Prosecutors presented evidence of hypothermia and suffocation risks.
• Both defendants had prior convictions for concealing a birth and child cruelty.

Reckless Evasion and Arrest

After their fourth child was taken into care in late 2022, Marten, 38, and Gordon, 51, abandoned their home to avoid social services and embarked on a seven-week nationwide flight. According to an Associated Press report, the couple evaded more than 200 officers by living off cash, scavenging for food, and frequently relocating campsites in sub-zero weather. Their clandestine journey ended on 27 February 2023 when officers arrested them in Brighton during a coordinated operation that followed the discovery of a placenta in their burned-out car.

Despite repeated questioning, the pair refused to reveal their newborn daughter’s whereabouts, prompting a desperate search that culminated two days later in the recovery of the infant’s body in a disused shed.

Watch a report: Constance Marten And Mark Gordon Found Guilty Of Manslaughter.

Negligence and Legal Consequences

At the Old Bailey retrial in July 2025, prosecutors detailed how Marten and Gordon chose to shelter in a single-layer tent without adequate bedding or clothing, exposing baby Victoria to sub-zero temperatures. Expert testimony demonstrated that condensation and damp sleeping bags would have subjected the infant to severe climatic cold stress, resulting in hypothermia or accidental suffocation during co-sleeping. Both defendants had already been convicted of concealing the birth, child cruelty, and perverting the course of justice earlier in the year, as outlined in the Crown Prosecution Service statement.

The prosecution argued that the couple’s deliberate decision to isolate themselves, despite access to substantial funds from a family trust, constituted a “gross breach” of parental duty. Marten had allegedly continued to claim thousands in child and housing benefits during their flight, further underscoring the reckless motivations behind their actions. A contemporaneous BBC News analysis highlighted systemic failures in monitoring at-risk families, warning that Victoria’s death was preventable.

Sentencing is scheduled for 15 September 2025, when both defendants face lengthy prison terms for their “selfish actions” that a senior prosecutor said directly led to Victoria’s preventable death. Authorities and victims’ advocates have expressed outrage at the lack of remorse shown by Marten and Gordon, warning that this case underscores urgent reforms in child protection services.