Constance Marten took 270-mile taxi ‘to find port to escape from’
Constance Marten and her lover took a 270-mile taxi journey from Liverpool to Essex looking for a port to escape from, a court has been told.
Ms Marten, 36, and Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of killing their newborn baby, Victoria, by going on the run to prevent her being taken away by social services.
The baby’s placenta was found in a burnt-out car on a Manchester motorway in January last year, sparking a huge police hunt as the couple traversed the UK trying to find a route out of the country, the Old Bailey heard.
The couple then spent nearly two months camping in a tent in the bitterly cold South Downs near Brighton before they were arrested in February.
On March 1, the baby was found dead in a Lidl bag covered in rubbish inside a disused shed, the Old Bailey has 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.
Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family and her father was a page to Elizabeth II.
The couple had escaped the burning car near Manchester on Jan 5, before asking for a lift to Bolton. The couple then took a taxi from Bolton to Liverpool and at 9pm, three hours after leaving their burning vehicle, they flagged down another taxi and travelled from Liverpool to Essex, the court was told.
‘You could see she was shivering’
Giving evidence by video link, driver Ali Yaryar said the first thing Ms Marten did when she got into the car was ask him to put the heating on.
“She was cold, for that time of year she had not much clothes on. You could see she was shivering,” he said.
Ms Marten asked to go to Harwich, Essex, which Mr Yaryar had not heard of so he asked her to put a postcode in his phone.
“I said this is a long journey – we go to Heathrow Airport from Liverpool for £500 but this is a quiet night – I can go there if you want for £400.”
He said he offered to drive home and change into his personal Audi vehicle because it would be warmer and more comfortable.
He said he noticed Ms Marten was hiding a baby under her jacket which she was breastfeeding during the journey. He offered to get a car seat but Ms Marten said the baby was too small.
Mr Gordon paid him £400 in £20 notes, Mr Yaryar told the court. He said the baby was wearing no clothes except a nappy.
Mr Gordon slept while Ms Marten also tried to sleep, he said, adding that they arrived at Harwich around 2.15am.
Trust fund payments
John Femi-Ola KC, representing Mr Gordon, suggested the baby did have clothing on but was being changed when Mr Yaryar saw her just in a nappy.
Ms Marten received nearly £19,000 in payments into her account from a trust fund while she was on the run, the court was told.
Jurors heard that Ms Marten and Mr Gordon went to Liverpool and Harwich as they were looking for a port to escape from.
Ms Marten and Mr Gordon also deny causing or allowing the death of a child. The charges date between Jan 4 2023 and Feb 27 2023. The trial is set to last six weeks.
