Constance Marten and partner guilty of concealing birth of child and perverting course of justice

Constance Marten and her partner Mark Gordon have been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice, it can now be reported.

The couple also faced charges of child cruelty, manslaughter by gross negligence, and causing or allowing the death of a child, all of which they denied.

Jurors at the Old Bailey began deliberating on 30 April and were discharged on 19 June after more than 72 hours of deliberation.

On Wednesday, prosecutor Tom Little KC announced the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would seek a retrial - which is due to take place in March next year.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC allowed the reporting of the two verdicts following an application by members of the media.

Marten, 37, who is from a wealthy family, and Gordon, 50, were charged following the death of their newborn baby daughter Victoria.

A nationwide search for Marten and Gordon was launched after a placenta was found in a burning car on a motorway in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in January 2023.

Over seven weeks, the couple travelled across England and slept in a tent on the South Downs as police searched for the missing baby.

The couple were arrested in Brighton last February, with the child's body found days later.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, from Scotland Yard, said: "Following today's hearing before His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft KC, I can now confirm that Mark Gordon and Constance Marten have been convicted of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice."

He said the investigation team from the Met's Specialist Crime Command and the CPS will prepare for a retrial in March.

He added: "We will not be making any further public statements until the conclusion of the retrial."