The trial of runaway couple Constance Marten and Mark Gordon is due to resume at the Central Criminal Court – better known as the Old Bailey – today (Monday 25 March).
The pair are on trial charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria whose remains were found in a Lidl “bag for life” in a Brighton allotment shed a year ago.
The pair had been on the run for almost two months before they were arrested in Hollingdean.
As well as manslaughter by gross negligence, the pair are also charged with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice.
Marten, 36, was giving evidence before a week-long break resulting from prior commitments of some of those involved in the trial in London.
She spoke about her attempts to avoid having a fifth child taken into care and living in a tent last winter in and around the Brighton area.
Marten said that she only ever showed her baby love as she and Gordon tried to evade her family and the authorities for fear that her daughter would be taken from her.
She had been warned both about the unsuitability of looking after a child in a tent in winter and of falling asleep while holding her baby to her, the jury heard.
While post-mortem tests could not establish the cause of death, Marten said that she fell asleep holding her baby and when she woke up, the child had died.
The case is due to resume at the Old Bailey at 10.30am with Sir Mark Lucraft, the recorder of London, presiding.
