The authorities discover the infant of Constance Marten inside a garbage-strewn shopping bag.
To receive breaking news updates in your email inbox, sign up for our free real-time alerts.
Subscribe to our complimentary email notifications for breaking news.
Constance Marten, a member of the aristocracy, revealed to the jury that her family held the belief that she was not only a drug addict, but also involved in the illicit trafficking of children.
She alleged that they had initiated a legal case in the High Court against her in 2019, which restricted her from traveling outside the country. She further asserted that they had also engaged the services of private detectives to track her movements.
She returned to the witness stand on the third day and admitted that she and her partner had plotted to hire someone to illegally transport their baby daughter to another country. She mentioned searching on the website Gumtree as a potential way to find a person for the job.
The mother, along with her partner Mark Gordon, 49, have both pleaded not guilty to the accusation of being grossly negligent in the death of their daughter Victoria. The alleged incident occurred between January 4th and February 27th of last year.
The court was informed that the 36-year-old mother, while on the run with her partner Gordon, had hidden her pregnancy and claimed she was a “great parent”. This happened after their four other children were removed from their custody.
Victoria passed away while the couple was on the run from authorities and living in a makeshift camp. Her body was discovered in a disused shed inside a Lidl shopping bag in March of last year.
The trial continues.
Emotional On-the-Run Mother: “I Prefer My Child to Be Alive”
When questioned by the prosecuting attorney, Constance Marten became emotional and cried while testifying about her willingness to allow social services near her child.
She firmly stated “no” and criticized specific foster parents for neglecting the well-being of the children under their care. When asked if she would have rejected assistance from authorities, regardless of the potential consequences, she was questioned further.
She responded, “If I had known what would happen, I would have preferred for my child to still be alive.”
When asked again, she became emotional and stated, “No matter the outcome, if I had known what would happen with Victoria, I would have chosen for her to be placed in care and live her life. But I wasn’t willing to take that risk.”
Marten maintains that both she and Gordon had a car seat.
”
Constance Marten asserted to Mr. Smith during their argument that she and Mark Gordon utilized a child safety seat in their vehicle.
She mentioned that they were being very careful while traveling, making sure the baby seat was not visible in order to avoid catching the attention of authorities and revealing Victoria’s presence.
She stated that we would keep anything involving the baby hidden.
Picture of their vehicle that was demolished a couple of days following Victoria’s arrival.
The proceedings continue following the midday break.
The twelve members of the jury have taken their seats again while Constance Marten has resumed her position in the witness stand to be further questioned.
The jury takes a break for lunch.
The proceedings this morning have concluded, and the jury will reconvene at 2pm to continue with Constance Marten’s cross-examination.
Marten contends that GPS tracking devices were discovered underneath their vehicles.
Marten testified in court that she had suspicions that the vehicles the couple was using were being manipulated and she also expressed her belief that they were being followed by private investigators.
The witness also informed the jurors that she refrained from using her card to avoid being tracked.
She stated that she found GPS trackers under all of our cars which caused each of them to suddenly stop in the middle of the motorway. She believes this occurred because she used her card on that night.
Marten proudly declares to the court that she is a superb mother.
Marten was interrogated this morning regarding her choices on whether to enroll her child with a physician or for schooling, and her motives for leaving the country with her newborn child.
She alleged that the state had taken her other four children without her consent and asserted that her daughter Victoria should be in her care, as she believes she is a capable and loving mother.
“I am actually a great mother, and she deserves all my love and attention.”
Marten had arranged to hire someone for the purpose of illegally transporting her child overseas.
Can you clarify that your intent was to locate and compensate someone to unlawfully transport your child out of the country?
Marten verified and expressed a desire to use either a nanny or a professional.
When inquired about the possibility of nannies accepting payment to illegally transport individuals overseas, she replied, “Where there is determination, there is a method.”
”
“I could have discovered someone through an online platform such as Gumtree, where nannies with different qualifications than nursery teachers can be found. This would allow for the opportunity to spend time with a potential nanny and observe their interaction with children.”
I had the option to either take her with me overseas or give her to someone else.
Constance Marten planned to smuggle her baby abroad
A couple conspired to illegally bring a newborn baby out of the country
Speaking about their intention to take baby Victoria abroad, Marten says they had planned to illegally smuggle themselves to Europe but had struggled to make the right connections or formulate a plan to do so.
She attributed her struggles to social services, stating, “They placed me in a predicament where I was unsure of how to proceed.”
She stated that she would have entrusted her to a non-social services caregiver, such as a nanny or someone else.
Marten states that a relative has obtained a court order forbidding her from traveling.
Constance Marten stated at the Old Bailey that a relative had obstructed her plans to travel outside the country by imposing a ban through legal actions in the High Court.
During her testimony, she responded to inquiries from prosecutor Joel Smith by explaining that she and Mark Gordon had intended to leave the country to care for their daughter, Victoria. However, they were allegedly prohibited from doing so due to a court order.
According to her, the High Court case took place without her knowledge and she was not given legal representation or advice from a solicitor.
“My family have a lot of money, a lot of clout. and a lot of connections,” she said.
–>
Constance Marten takes her place in the witness stand again.
Constance Marten has taken the stand once again, answering questions from prosecutor Joel Smith during cross-examination.
Throughout the day, she will undergo additional questioning.
We will provide you with the most recent updates here.
Source: independent.co.uk
