Greater Manchester Police
A British aristocrat and her sex offender partner charged with manslaughter by gross negligence over the death of their fifth baby had previously lost custody of their four other children, a London court heard Thursday.
Prosecutors say Constance Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, deliberately kept secret the birth of their fifth child, Victoria, because they knew that they would lose custody of her too. The newborn girl’s body was found inside a garbage-covered shopping bag in a shed in March 2023 after an extensive police search.
In addition to manslaughter, Marten and Gordon have been charged with concealment of the birth, cruelty to their baby, perverting the course of justice by hiding the body, and causing or allowing her death, the BBC reports. The couple have denied all the charges.