Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →
Constance Marten granted permission to appeal sentence after baby's death
Constance Marten has been granted permission to appeal her 14-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of her baby daughter Victoria. She has also renewed her application to appeal her gross negligence manslaughter conviction. A date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.
Constance Marten, 39, has been granted permission to appeal the 14-year prison sentence she received for her role in the death of her baby daughter, Victoria. Marten, who was also convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, has renewed her application to appeal that conviction. Mark Gordon, her partner, was sentenced to 14 years in prison plus an additional four years on extended licence.
The Court of Appeal has not yet confirmed a date for the hearing, according to reports from the Liverpool Echo and LBC.
Background and Conviction
Marten and Gordon were living in hiding when Victoria died in a tent on the South Downs in January 2023. The couple had fled from the authorities in an attempt to prevent Victoria from being taken into care, as four of their other children had previously been removed, according to the Old Bailey trial.
The pair were found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing the birth of a child, and perverting the course of justice, after two trials at the Old Bailey, each lasting six months. Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced both to 14 years in prison, with Gordon given an additional four years on extended licence.
The Judge's Findings
During sentencing, Judge Lucraft accepted the prosecution's case that baby Victoria died from hypothermia after being exposed to 'significant cold stress'. He rejected the defendants' claim that Victoria had been accidentally smothered in a 'terrible accident' while they slept in the tent.
The judge said the offending was made more serious because Victoria was particularly vulnerable and the couple had failed to follow previous warnings. He told them, "It is clear throughout the period neither of you gave much or any thought for the care or love for your baby." He also said they had displayed 'arrogance' and subjected Victoria to 'neglect of the most serious type'.
Timeline of Events
A nationwide search for the couple had been launched after their car caught fire on a motorway near Bolton, Greater Manchester, in early January 2023. Marten and Gordon traveled across England and went off-grid, living in a tent on the South Downs, where Victoria died days later. After five months on the run, they were arrested in Brighton. Victoria's body was found inside a Lidl bag among rubbish in an abandoned shed nearby, as reported by the Scotland Yard.
How each outlet told it
The daily Star
Framing: Highlights that an 'aristocrat' got permission to appeal and also mentions killing her baby while on run, focusing on her aristocratic status and criminal act — Sensational and informal, with phrases like 'green light', 'nicked', 'dramatic televised sentencing'
Facts Included:
Marten granted permission to appeal her 14-year sentence
Renewed application to overturn gross negligence manslaughter conviction
No court date fixed
Marten, 39, was an aristocrat, found hiding out after baby Victoria died in tent on South Downs in January 2023
Baby Victoria discovered dead after parents lived off-grid in 'thin and flimsy' tent
Officer who found remains spoke of tragic discovery on March 1 last year
Couple attempted to evade authorities to prevent social services seizing newborn like four older kids
Mark Gordon found guilty of manslaughter
Both found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing birth, perverting course of justice
Judge Lucraft sentenced to 14 years each, Gordon extra 4 years on licence
Judge agreed with prosecutors that baby froze to death due to cold, dismissed smothering claims
Judge Lucraft said crime aggravated due to vulnerability and ignored warnings
Quote: 'It is clear throughout the period neither of you gave much or any thought for the care or love for your baby.'
Branded 'arrogant' and accused of 'neglect of the most serious type'
Car fire on motorway near Bolton in January 2023
Vanished across England, lived off-grid, Victoria died days later
Arrested in Brighton after seven weeks
Body found in Lidl bag among rubbish in disused shed
Framing: Emphasizes Marten's permission to appeal her 14-year sentence; leaves out that it is for her baby's death and the sentence is for manslaughter — Measured – descriptive reporting of the legal developments without overt emotional language, but includes the judge's strong criticism
Facts Included:
Marten granted permission to appeal her 14-year sentence
Renewed application for permission to appeal gross negligence manslaughter conviction
Date for appeal hearing not yet confirmed
Marten, 39, and Mark Gordon, 52, on the run after daughter Victoria died in tent on South Downs in January 2023
Four other children previously removed
Both found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing birth, perverting course of justice
Two trials at Old Bailey, each lasting six months
Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced both to 14 years; Gordon got extra 4 years on extended licence
Judge agreed with prosecutors Victoria died from hypothermia after 'significant cold stress'
Judge rejected smothering claims
Judge cited vulnerability and failure to heed warnings
Judge used words 'arrogance' and 'neglect of the most serious type'
Quote: 'It is clear throughout the period neither of you gave much or any thought for the care or love for your baby.'
Nationwide search started after car fire on motorway near Bolton in early January 2023
Couple travelled across England, went off-grid, lived in tent where Victoria died days later
Arrested in Brighton after seven weeks
Victoria's body found in Lidl bag among rubbish in abandoned shed
Framing: Headline focuses on permission to appeal and killing her baby, but does not mention it is for sentence or that she is an aristocrat — neutral, straightforward reporting with a factual tone
Facts Included:
Marten granted permission to appeal 14-year sentence
Renewed application for permission to appeal gross negligence manslaughter conviction
Court date yet to be set
Marten, 39, and Mark Gordon, 52, were in hiding when daughter Victoria died in tent on South Downs in January 2023
They fled police to prevent Victoria taken into care, as four other siblings had been before
Found guilty of manslaughter, child cruelty, concealing birth, perverting course of justice
Two trials spanning six months each at Old Bailey
Judge Mark Lucraft KC jailed both for 14 years, Gordon got extra 4 years on extended licence
Judge accepted prosecution case that Victoria died from hypothermia after 'significant cold stress'
Rejected defendants’ claims of smothered in 'terrible accident' as they slept
Offending made worse because vulnerable and failed to listen to past warnings
Quote from judge: 'It is clear throughout the period neither of you gave much or any thought for the care or love for your baby.'
Judge used words 'arrogance' and 'neglect of the most serious type'.
Police launched nationwide hunt on January 5, 2023 after car fire
Couple travelled across England, went off-grid, sleeping in tent on South Downs where baby died days later
After seven weeks on the run, arrested in Brighton
Baby found dead amid rubbish after a desperate search
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimConstance Marten has been granted permission to appeal the 14-year prison sentence she received.
ClaimThe judge said the offending was made more serious because Victoria was particularly vulnerable and the couple had failed to heed previous warnings.