Constance Marten trial information: Manslaughter-accused aristocrat ‘did not want police to find baby’s stays’

Aristocrat Constance Marten advised jurors she feels “responsible” for “falling asleep” on her new child whereas dwelling in a tent on the run with Mark Gordon.

The toddler died whereas the couple have been dwelling off-grid in a tent in wintry situations after happening the run to cease her from being taken into care like her 4 older siblings.

Crime Correspondent Amy-Clare Martin reviews from the Old Bailey:

Challenged over why she stopped visiting her different kids at contact centres between October 2021 and January 2022, Marten mentioned it was as a result of there was no CCTV.

She claimed she requested to solely see her kids involved centres with cameras as a result of social providers have been misrepresenting their visits in written reviews.

“It was too dangerous to go in that environment,” she advised the court docket, including: “It’s not fair these people have got too much power and no accountability. It’s their word against ours.”

The mom insisted she did not abandon one other youngster at hospital shortly after giving beginning.

She mentioned she “didn’t have a choice” and had to depart the child at hospital after giving beginning to put together for a household court docket listening to.

She added she did not belief the hospital safeguarding staff following a earlier dangerous expertise, including: “I didn’t want to put myself back in that environment.”

Under cross examination, she claimed that her two oldest kids suffered abuse after being taken into care.

She argued a household court docket was improper to take her first 4 kids, including: “I think it is very, very corrupt system.”

She mentioned: “Of course there are some great foster carers and there are some excellent social workers but it is a gamble and you don’t know what you are going to get.”

She added: “If I don’t know where my child is going I’m not going to take that risk.”

Challenged over lies she advised to docs through the beginning of her first youngster, when she adopted an Irish accent and advised medics she was from the travelling neighborhood, she mentioned: “I don’t think lying is particularly bad.

“I think sometimes you might be in a position where you have to.”

She added: “To save my child, for myself and my family, I will do anything.”

Under cross examination, Marten insisted she and Gordon gave faux names at hospital when she delivered her first youngster as a result of she was attempting to escape from her household.

The court docket heard she placed on a faux Irish accent and advised medics she was from the travelling neighborhood whereas she was in labour.

“I had to escape my family because my family are extremely oppressive and bigoted and they wouldn’t allow me to have children with my husband and would do anything to erase the child from the family line,” she advised the court docket.

The court docket was beforehand advised she believed her household have been utilizing personal detectives to path her.

She added on Friday: “I knew that they had detectives and if I gave my name they would know my whereabouts.”

Facing questions over whether or not it was protected to increase a new child in a tent in winter, she argued that kids all around the world are raised in tents – citing kids in Mongolia and youngsters dwelling in igloos.

“Mr Smith if you don’t mind we are looking at it from a Western perspective and there are kids all around the world that live in tents,” she advised the court docket.

She later added: “You just have to look at France…Calais…lots of refugees are living in tents with newborn babies and they don’t die because their mothers were taking good care of them.”

Asked by prosecutor Joel Smith if she confirmed her child the extent of care that anybody would, she replied: “Yes.”

“I showed my baby the maximum amount of love that I had to give,” she mentioned. “Mr Smith, in life accidents happen and they are tragic but it’s not something I could have foreseen in any way, shape or form.”

Challenged whether or not happening the run with a new child in a tent was a nasty choice, she mentioned: “Obviously being in a house would be better than being in a tent.”

Challenged once more if it was a nasty choice, she replied: “But that’s not what caused her death. I think it would be a bad decision for child services to get hold of her.”

Prosecutor Joel Smith asserted that Constance Marten and her associate Mark Gordon went underground along with her child as a result of she thought social providers have been improper.

He requested: “Has it occurred to you that they were right?”

Marten replied: “Victoria would be alive if it were not for them. I’m not saying they are to blame for her death. I’m saying we were in a very unfortunate position.”

Mr Smith went on: “Has it occurred to you in trying to prove them wrong you proved them more right than ever?”

The defendant denied she was attempting to show anybody improper.

Cross-examining, prosecutor Joel Smith repeatedly requested Marten if she accepted that taking her new child child to reside in a tent within the winter was a “very bad idea”.

Marten mentioned: “Obviously being in a house would be better than being in a tent.”

She asserted it was a “very Western perspective” and there have been infants dwelling in igloos and camps at Calais.

She mentioned: “It was the only decision I had at the time. She was well cared for and well loved.”

Asked if she regretted the choice now, she mentioned: “I regret falling asleep in the way I did.”