On 5 January 2023, police discovered a burning car on the M61 near Bolton. Inside were £2,000 in cash, dozens of cheap phones, a woman’s passport — and a placenta wrapped in a towel. It was the first sign of a newborn baby whose short life would end in tragedy.
The passport belonged to Constance Marten, a woman from a wealthy aristocratic family with ties to royalty, and her partner Mark Gordon, a convicted rapist who had spent 20 years in a US prison. Both were already known to social services. Their four previous children had been taken into care.
Fearing authorities would seize their fifth child, the couple vanished. For weeks, they lived in a flimsy tent during one of the coldest winters, despite having thousands of pounds in cash. CCTV later showed them carrying their baby, Victoria, tucked inside Marten’s jacket — often without socks, hats, or blankets.
A Desperate Flight from Authorities
The pair’s paranoia ran deep. Marten had previously faked names, accents, and backgrounds to avoid scrutiny. She came from privilege, but she and Gordon chose a life on the run.
Their relationship, described by a judge as “fiercely united in an unrelenting struggle against a non-existent opponent,” meant they consistently put each other above their children’s safety.
When police finally arrested them in Brighton after a 54-day manhunt, Victoria was gone. Days later, her body was found in a Lidl shopping bag, wrapped in a pink sheet, hidden in a shed.
A Life Cut Short
A pathologist could not determine the exact cause of death, but said cold exposure or unsafe co-sleeping were likely. In court, prosecutors argued the baby had never stood a chance:
She was never seen by a doctor or midwife
She had no safe home
Her parents exposed her to dangerous conditions
Marten and Gordon denied harming her, calling her death a “tragic accident.” But the jury disagreed. They were convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence, child cruelty, and concealing her birth. In July 2024, both were sentenced to 14 years in prison, with Gordon receiving an additional four years on extended licence.
From Privilege to Prison
The contrast between the two is stark.
Marten: granddaughter of a society heiress, educated at private schools, once profiled in Tatler magazine, with dreams of an acting career.
Gordon: raised in Florida, jailed at 15 for a brutal rape, deported to the UK after 20 years behind bars.
Yet their worlds collided in London, and their obsessive bond spiraled into a life of deception, paranoia, and ultimately tragedy.
“She Did Not Stand a Chance”
Victoria’s short life was defined by chaos, secrecy, and neglect. The prosecution’s words at the Old Bailey were devastatingly clear:
“Caught in the middle of that toxic relationship was a baby that was manifestly not being cared for properly. Victoria did not stand a chance.”
The case has prompted a national safeguarding review to understand how agencies can prevent similar tragedies in the future.
