Alleged Negligence by Constance Marten and Mark Gordon Resulted in Baby’s Tragic Death During Off-Grid Living

In a recent court hearing, it was revealed that Constance Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, chose to live “off-grid” in harsh conditions with their newborn baby, known as Baby A, leading to the tragic death of the infant. The couple, described as “utterly selfish” and “grossly negligent,” faced accusations of prioritizing their lifestyle choices over the well-being of their child.

Prosecutor Tom Little KC presented the case at the Old Bailey, asserting that the death of Baby A was entirely avoidable. According to Little, the defendants, as parents, displayed reckless, selfish, callous, cruel, and ultimately grossly negligent conduct, resulting in the tragic outcome, told Essex Live.

The court learned that Marten concealed her pregnancy in 2022, fearing that authorities might take the child away. Subsequently, the couple went on the run and lived in a tent on the South Downs during a police search for the family. Little highlighted the couple’s decision to expose the newborn to cold winter conditions without proper care, depriving the baby of warmth, shelter, food, and safety.

He stated, “It was their selfish desire to keep their baby girl that led inexorably to the death of that baby girl.”

The charges against the parents include manslaughter by gross negligence of Baby A, child cruelty, concealing the body, concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice. The trial, set to continue until March 8, heard that the infant’s remains were discovered in a plastic bag in a locked shed at an overgrown allotment in Brighton on March 1. Marten and Gordon were arrested in Stanmer Villas nearby. Both defendants deny the charges.