Hey, LaMs. Ky here. Just here to do a really quick episode, um, before my day begins. So you’re probably gonna hear noise, like in the background. Don’t worry about it. It’s not my regular recording time. In today’s episode, it’s an update. And I do take you back to an episode I did in season four named UK heiress and convict partner carried dead newborn around in bag. And it was the case of Constance Martin and Mark Gordon. If you didn’t listen to that case, the link is to this episode is in the show notes below. But here’s the TLDR, or I guess in this case, the TLDL. In 2023, British aristocrat Constant Martin and her partner Mark Gordon vanished after their car was found buried in Manchester with signs that she had recently given birth. For nearly two months, the couple evaded a nationwide manhunt. Seen traveling with their newborn hidden under a shawl, living in tents during freezing weather. When they were finally arrested in Brighton, their baby, who they later named, uh, Victoria, was missing. Days later, police found her body hidden under trash near their arrest site. Constance and Mark were convicted of concealing birth and pervert injustice. But their manslaughter trial ended without a verdict. A retrial was set for March 2025. So I suggest you listen to the full episode to hear all the shocking details, uh, because it is shocking. Again, the link is the show notes below. So now they’ve been retried and sentenced. And that’s what today’s episode is all about. An update. But before we get into that, I want to remind you, uh, that you, my lambs, are my sponsors. That means that this podcast is 100% listener funded and will remain that way. Well, unless I find outside sponsors who align with, you know how you’ve grown used to me being the voice of the victims. Even then, the podcast will still be primarily listener funded because you are always my sponsors. Now, I don’t ask you for your hard earned money for free. No, that’s why I built the Patreon. So you get something in return for supporting the show. Patreon.com loveandmurder when you join, even at the lowest bonus tier, you get ad free episodes, intro free episodes, early release episodes, case extras, extra cases, behind the scenes content, and so much more. Plus, you’re helping me keep telling these stories and being the voice of the victims. Patreon.com loveandmurder and speaking of Patreon, the newest deadly duo’s bonus is out. He stole their money, they murdered and Burned him. This is the case of Andrew and Elizabeth Hawes. Imagine a brother coming home only to be ambushed in his own driveway. Crossbow, bolts, hammers, and a staged attack fueled by greed and betrayal. It’s one of the most shocking family murders we’ve covered and it’s live right now for the $10 and above LaM Patreon fam. You can hear it at patreon.com loveandmurder now let’s get into today’s update. The case against 38 year old Constance Martin and 51 year old Mark Gordon ended up costing taxpayers about 2.8 million pounds in court and legal fees. That’s about 3,772,160 US DOL. It involved two separate trials at the Old Bailey. Throughout, both of them showed what one senior judge described as, quote, a, uh, complete lack of respect for the court. Acting worse than teenage murderers. They were disruptive, constantly passing notes, whispering during evidence, and at times refusing to attend court, which dragged the case out for months. Constance even sent a note to the judge once asking, quote, could I nip out for a coffee as we’re falling asleep? Judge Mark Lewcraft KC became exasperated and said, constant Martin is not running this trial. Over the proceedings, Constance was represented by 14 different barristers. Mark eventually fired his own legal team and chose to represent himself, which only caused more delays and confusion. The prosecution argued that Constance and Mark were selfish parents whose quote, callous, cruel and arrogant actions led directly to their daughter Victoria’s death. Prosecutor Tim Little, KC said their focus was always on themselves, dismissing Constance’s claims of persecution by her family and social services as fantasy. He called her story about Mission Impossible style private investigators swooping out of the sky mythical and said, quote, lies fell from her mouth like confetti in the wind. The prosecution’s position was that if Victoria’s death had been a terrible accident, the couple would have gone to authorities immediately instead of hiding her body. Which sounds reasonable to me. The defense told the jury Victoria’s death had been a tragic accident. Constance testified that on January 9, she fell asleep while holding Victoria zipped inside of her jacket. When she woke up, the baby was gone. I mean, why would you fall asleep if a baby zipped inside of your jacket? Uh, did you even stop to think maybe she couldn’t breathe? Did you have her in a position to be able to get enough oxygen? Like, they claim that she didn’t call for help because they wanted to give their daughter dignity. What, uh, does, calling for help and dignity have to do with each other? Constance tried to justify Their lifestyle, comparing living in a tent to desert nomads. You’re not a desert nomad. You come from a rich family. Desert nomads know how to live like desert nomads. You come from a rich family, and you don’t start testing that theory when you have a newborn baby with you and it’s freezing temperatures in the uk. Her mother, Virgin de Salieres, I think that’s how you say her name, testified for her, calling her daughter feisty, courageous, and determined when it came to her children. So what I’m now going to do is get into the day by day of the trial a bit so you can see how it went. So, March 3, 2025, the pretrial hearing opened at the Old Bailey before Judge Mark Lucraft, kc, the court’s most senior judge. Neither Constance, uh, nor Mark showed up. Judge Lewcraft was told that Constance refused to attend, claiming that she was sick, even though she had been declared medically fit. The judge made it clear the case would go on whether or not they were in court. He said, those who are genuinely ill, I have great sympathy for those who do not feel like coming. I have very little sympathy for March 10, 2025. The day the trial started, prosecutor Tom Little, KC told the jury that this was a paradigm case of gross negligence manslaughter. He said Constance had access to a family trust fund and could have rented a property, but chose not to. So she had the money to do it, but she chose to live in a tent and equate herself to a desert nomad. He showed the jury CCTV footage of the couple’s frantic journey across England after their car caught fire. Is that any way to look after a baby at this stage? He asked. March 12, 2025. On the third day of trial, Constance spoke directly to Judge Lucraft from the dock, Breaking courtroom rules. She complained about exhaustion from what she described as 17 to 19 hour days. Oh, I’m so tired. Um, sidebar, your honor. Isn’t that how desert nomads live, or anybody who doesn’t live in what we perceive as a conventional house? 17 to 19 hour days, because you’re constantly fixing your travel and dwelling. You’re constantly going out and searching for food. You’re constantly making, uh, sure everybody is okay. You’re constantly making sure your animals are okay. So if it’s a nomad, they have 17 to 19 hour days, but you can’t even bother to come to court feeling remorseful for what you did. Instead, you’re complaining about exhaustion from 7 for 17 to 19 hour days. Blaming the early start and the long trip from HMP Bronze Field. Again, how desert nomads live. Early starts, long trips. She said this would affect her chance of a fair hearing. The judge reminded her that. Ma’, am, you’re a convicted prisoner. April 25, 2025. A problem came up when the jury was mistakenly given an old version of Mark’s police interview that mentioned his history. Uh, his barrister argued that this was prejudicial and even suggested the jury might have to be discharged. Judge Lewcraft refused, saying it wasn’t in anyone’s interest for the jury to know about Mark’s past conviction. And the trial continued. Now my question is, how did they accidentally get his history? Was it the defense that accidentally included it in there or did it come from the prosecution? Now if you want to know more about his history as well as Constance’s, then listen to the previous episode if you haven’t already. It’s all there. Link is in the show notes below. And this goes to anybody who did listen to it but forgot about it. You could always go back and re listen to it. April 22, 2025. Constance was due to start giving evidence. But she said she had a headache and a toothache and she asked for the delay and the judge Agreed. Wow. April 23, 2025. The next day she refused to come to court altogether. With the jury sent home, Judge Lucroft made it clear that he’d had enough. It would be rather different if this were a one off but it’s not. And remember, this is coming out of the citizens pockets. Just taxpayers money going to waste. I would just bill her parents. I would bill her family. They’re rich. April 24, 2025. When Constance finally took the stand, her testimony was marked by long exaggerated yawns that she used to show how tired she was. What a douchebag. Uh, questioned about her four older children being taken into care, she became angry and yelled that they were quote, stolen by the state. April 29, 2025. In front of the jury, while given evidence, Constance blurted out that Mark had quote, a uh, violent rape conviction. That detail had been deliberately kept from the jury to ensure a fair trial. The jury was immediately sent out. Prosecutors said that she was making a quote, deliberate attempt to take a wrecking ball to the case. Constance claimed that it was a slip up caused by exhaustion and what she called her quote, agonizing toothache. May 6, 2025. After Constance blurted out Mark’s past conviction, his legal team withdrew from the case. Mark Told the court, quote, I’d like to represent myself. May 13, 2025. Constance suddenly ended her testimony. After weeks of cross examination. She stood in the dock and said, quote, I’m not going to give evidence anymore. I’ve made a decision that formally closed her testimony. May 21, 2025. Now representing himself, Mark gave his own evidence. He spoke to the jury for an entire day, telling them that both he and Constance were deranged and from the trauma of losing their other children. He added, quote, we weren’t normal. I have to explain myself criminally for the loss of the baby I loved. Now, I’m not saying they didn’t love the baby. I’m not saying they didn’t love any of their children. I’m not saying that at all. What I’m saying is I don’t see any remorse for the baby that was lost. I don’t see any respect for the situation they’re in. And I don’t see that they’re trying to do their best to even get back to their other kids. Because I’m pretty sure if you had shown remorse, respect for the court, you know, that you were so sorry, which I guess is remorse that you were so sorry what happened to your baby. Show something. They would take that into consideration, at least for Constance, and you can get back to your children. But as far as I’m seeing, it’s just a sh. Show, you know? May 23, 2025. When it was time for the prosecution to cross examine him, Mark refused to answer, quote, I, uh, will no longer answer questions, he said. Because of that, the judge ruled that the jury could Hear about his U.S. convictions for rape and battery. May 29, 2025. A police officer testified, confirming for the jury that Mark had been convicted of rape in Florida in 1989, while when he was just 14. Then on July 14, 2025, after a lengthy retrial, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict. They found both Constance and Mark guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, child cruelty, concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice. Neither of them even stood up to hear it. Constance shook her head and called it a scam, while Mark said the trial was unfair. They were sentenced on September 15, 2025. Judge Lukroft told them, neither of you gave much, if any, thought to the care of your baby. Your focus was on yourselves. He said their negligence was of, quote, the most serious and gravest type, and that they had shown no, quote, genuine remorse, instead blaming others. Both were sentenced to 14 years in prison because of his assessed dangerousness. Mark was also given an extended sentence of four years on license or on probation. As we say in the states, they are expected to serve 2/3 of their terms. So if I’m doing my math right, which math isn’t my strongest suit, that’s about nine years and some change. If I’m wrong, let me know in the comments below. As the sentence was read out, Constance sighed heavily and Mark just stared. Uh, straight ahead. Just no regard, Just none In the doc the couple were scolded for once again passing notes to each other during the hearing, part of what the judge called their complete lack of respect. The case has now triggered a national child safeguarding review to consider whether new laws are needed to protect unborn children of high risk parents. And that is the update of these two entitled bags of uh, bl. Their baby died, their other four kids are living without them and they couldn’t be bothered to care. Let me know your thoughts on this case and that is all I have for you today. If you want more cases you can hit up my patreon patreon.com loveandmurder you can sign up for free where you do get some perks such as the episodes are, ah delivered directly to you. Everything that I post on social media, you don’t have to go to my different accounts. It comes directly to you. And if I come across any cases that I just want to talk about, I do post them for free or you get the cases that I do upload to my newsletter. Patreon.com uh loveandmurder thanks for joining me in this bonus case. Uh, thanks for listening all the way to the end. Thank you for being a lamb and I will see you in the next episode. Bye.