Aristocrat Constance Marten has called time on her evidence about the death of her baby girl.
Marten, 37, and Mark Gordon, 50, are on trial charged with the manslaughter of their daughter Victoria who died after they went off-grid and slept in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023.
The Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, in London was told that the couple had wanted to avoid their newly born fifth child being taken into care.
What followed was a high-profile police hunt for the couple and their missing baby which ended in Brighton.
The prosecution alleges that Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in the “flimsy” tent, despite past warnings.
The child’s body was found with rubbish inside a Lidl “bag for life” in a disused shed at the allotments in Hollingdean two days after the defendants were arrested on Monday 27 February 2023.
The start of Marten’s evidence, on Tuesday 22 April, was delayed after she complained about suffering from a headache and toothache.
She went on to describe to jurors how Victoria died, saying that it was the “worst nightmare that you have ever woke up from”.
She did not report the death because she feared being called “some evil mother, a murderess, that sort of thing”.
Last Thursday (8 May), Marten was initially cross-examined by Gordon, her partner and co-defendant, who is now representing himself.
In answer to his questions, she said that her family saw her as an “embarrassment” and “will stop at nothing to get what they want”.
She was then cross-examined by Joel Smith, prosecuting, who asked her if leaving her daughter’s body in a bag of rubbish was a “despicable thing” to do.
Marten objected to his line of questioning, saying that Mr Smith was “diabolical” and a “heartless human being”.
Yesterday (Tuesday 13 May), Judge Mark Lucraft, the Recorder of London, told jurors that Marten had decided not to continue with Mr Smith’s cross-examination.
The jury was sent away until this afternoon when the Old Bailey trial will continue.
Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between Wednesday 4 January and Monday 27 February 2023.
Jurors have been told that the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.
