Constance Marten, a 35-year-old aristocrat, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48, have been charged with manslaughter after the discovery of a dead baby girl named Victoria. The baby was found wrapped in a plastic bag, under nappies, inside an abandoned shed. The couple faces additional charges of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. Marten and Gordon were arrested on Monday after a nationwide 53-day search, which was launched when placenta was found in an abandoned vehicle on the M61.
At their first court appearance, Marten smiled and blew a kiss to Gordon as they sat together in the dock. They were both wearing prison-issue grey clothes, and Gordon sat with a piece of clothing covering the top of his head. Marten hails from a wealthy aristocratic family, and members of her family have served the Royal Family. She is set to be represented in the legal proceedings by leading barrister Lewis Power KC, and a bail application is expected to be made for her.
