The Old Bailey trial of aristocrat Constance Marten took a chilling turn as harrowing footage was shown of the discovery of her missing newborn daughter’s body inside a Lidl supermarket bag.
Baby Victoria, the infant daughter of Marten and her partner Mark Gordon, was found deceased in a disused shed near the couple’s location, leaving jurors stunned by the disturbing evidence presented.
For days, Marten and Gordon remained tight-lipped about the whereabouts of their daughter, with Gordon expressing frustration during police interviews and Marten opting to respond with ‘no comment’ to all inquiries.
However, after two days of interrogation, authorities made the grim discovery of baby Victoria’s remains in a shopping bag filled with refuse in a shed in Brighton, East Sussex.
In a courtroom filled with tension, police body-worn camera footage was played, capturing the moment officers carefully unravelled the grisly scene. Inside the shed, officers probed a large red shopping bag on the decking, eventually revealing the baby’s body, obscured on the video.
The emotional testimony detailed the officers’ initial shock at the discovery and the painstaking process of uncovering the infant’s remains amidst the clutter within the bag.
PC Allen Ralph, one of the officers involved in the search, recalled the pungent smell emanating from the shed, and upon lifting the bag, discovered the chilling contents concealed beneath layers of trash.
Among the disturbing inventory, jurors heard of items including baby clothing, food packaging, a petrol-filled water bottle, and other assorted debris, painting a tragic picture of the conditions in which the infant was found.
The court also heard transcripts of police interviews with Marten and Gordon, revealing their evasiveness and resistance to divulge any information regarding their child’s whereabouts.
Gordon’s behaviour during questioning was marked by complaints of mistreatment and demands for medication, while Marten’s responses oscillated between requests for rest and refusal to cooperate.
Marten, hailing from a wealthy aristocratic background, appeared in court wearing a pink top, accompanied by her mother, Virginie de Selliers. Gordon, dressed in a pale blue shirt and dark tie, presented a stark contrast to Marten’s affluent upbringing.
Both Marten and Gordon pleaded not guilty to charges including manslaughter by gross negligence, concealment of birth, cruelty to a person under 16, and perverting the course of justice.
The trial, which is expected to span six weeks, has riveted the nation with its tragic revelations, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding baby Victoria’s untimely demise and the actions of her parents in the aftermath.
As the proceedings unfold, the haunting image of baby Victoria found within the confines of a Lidl bag serves as a poignant reminder of the heartbreaking loss at the centre of this trial
