Constance Marten wore a 'hijab' to hide her face on the run, court hears
Aristocrat Constance Marten wore what she claimed was a hijab to hide her face whilst she was on the run, a court has heard.
Marten, 36, and her boyfriend, Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of the manslaughter of their newborn baby Victoria by taking her on the run, fleeing from social services. In an effort to stop authorities from taking Victoria in, the couple instead decided to flee, leading to a manhunt that tragically ended with little Victoria found dead.
The couple allegedly travelled across England, living off the grid in a bid to keep her from being taken from them, after four other children of theirs were taken into care. Marten was present at the trial today, Wednesday 31 January, for the first time, having been absent for the first four days.
It was heard how on January 7, the couple flagged down a taxi, driven by Abdirisakh Mohamud in Shoreditch. Mr Mohamud said in a statement read to court: "The male told me to go to Enfield Tesco Extra. I asked for a postcode and the male replied 'just take us there.'
"I couldn't see much of the baby but recall it was wrapped in something. I asked how old the baby was and the man told me he was two months old. The man asked me ‘are you Muslim?’ and I replied yes. He then asked ‘do you believe in the Quran?’ to which I answered yes.
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"He then asked ‘are you trustworthy?’ and his questions started to make me feel uncomfortable. He asked ‘is there a camera in your cab?’ and I said yes even though there wasn't a camera, because I wanted to feel safe.
"Looking in the mirror his face didn't appear happy. He then asked ‘are you sharing this conversation with anyone?’ These questions were asked in very quick succession with no pause in between which only added to my fear something was not right."
Marten and Gordon were wearing blue Covid masks and hoodies over their heads, he said. "I asked why they were wearing that and the female said she was a Muslim and it was her hijab. I said it was not a hijab and she said it was the only thing she had. I asked him why he was wearing it and he said he had a problem with his hair. At this time I decided I didn't want to continue the journey. I had an uneasy feeling with this couple. I told them I was not taking them any further and they needed to pay me £30."
Gordon being led out from Crawley police station after being charged regarding the death of his fifth baby with Marten (PA)The couple gave him £20 saying it was all they had and left the taxi. He added: "The more I thought about it the more I felt concerned for the baby and uneasy about the situation."
A police manhunt was sparked for the couple after a baby’s placenta was found in an exploded car along a Manchester motorway, the Old Bailey heard. The couple then spent nearly two months camping in a blue tent in the bitterly cold South Downs near Brighton before the baby, wearing only a onesie, allegedly froze to death.
Aristocrat Constance Marten (Getty Images)
Mark Gordon' (Getty Images)Victoria was later found dead in the Lidl bag for life where prosecutors say she spent most of her life. The couple met in 2016 and had four children in quick succession who were all taken into care after Marten gave birth to her first child using a fake Irish accent pretending to be a traveller, jurors have heard.
The couple deny the manslaughter of Victoria by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body. Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family and her father was a page to Queen Elizabeth II.
Gordon initially sat beside Marten when he arrived in the dock today and asked if she was okay, before he was asked to move by a dock officer who sat between them. Marten wore a white flowery blouse carrying a stack of folders and notes. The couple continued to chat during court proceedings. Marten later gave Gordon a hug as she left court for the mid-morning break.
Marten's mother Virginie de Selliers, who has attended every day of the trial, sat at the side of court but her daughter did not appear to look at her.
Amanda Wilson, who works at the General Register Office in Southport, confirmed that there had been no record of the birth of a child between Constance Marten and Mark Gordon between October 22 and February 2023.
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She confirmed there is a legal requirement to register a birth within 42 days.
Marten's family lived at Dorset estate Crichel House during her youth and her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret and goddaughter to the Queen Mother.
Marten and Gordon deny manslaughter by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice.
They also deny causing or allowing the death of a child. The trial is set to last six weeks.
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