Police footage shows moment Constance Marten’s baby was found dead in Lidl carrier bag
The moment a missing baby girl was found dead among rubbish stuffed inside a Lidl carrier bag has been shown during the trial of wealthy aristocrat Constance Marten.
The 36-year-old and her partner Mark Gordon’s dead child was discovered among several items in the bag including a Budweiser beer can, Coke cans, several pages of The Sun newspaper and an egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich package.
The baby was discovered days after Marten and Gordon, 49, were tracked down by police following weeks on the run between January and February 2023.
The couple and their newborn daughter Victoria went missing on 5 January that year after their car burst into flames on a motorway near Bolton, the court was told.
The baby was found in this Lidl carrier bag. Pic: Met Police
The shed where the bag was found. Pic: Met Police
The couple travelled across England and ended up living off-grid in a tent on the South Downs for about seven weeks as police carried out a nationwide search for them, the jury has been told.
They were caught on CCTV footage carrying a Lidl bag and rummaging through bins outside Hollingbury Golf Club in Brighton on 20 February 2023.
The couple were arrested in the city in East Sussex on suspicion of child neglect after a member of the public spotted them and called 999 on 27 February.
They refused to tell officers where their baby was before police discovered the girl’s body in a disused shed a few days later on 1 March.
The shed was located on Lower Roedale Allotments near to where Marten and Gordon had been detained.
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CCTV footage of Constance Marten holding baby Victoria under her coat outside Special Connection in East Ham in early January. Pic: PA
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon Pic: PA / Greater Manchester Police
Bodycam footage shared by police shows officers carefully probing the large red shopping bag which had been placed on decking outside the shed on Lower Roedale Allotments.
They were seen pulling out pieces of rubbish to reveal the baby, whose body was blocked out on the video.
The baby was found wrapped in a pink blanket, while a pink baby vest and baby grow were also inside the bag.
Other items found in the bag included a black blanket, two Hollingbury Golf Club scorecards, a glass water bottle refilled with petrol purchased at a Texaco garage on 12 January 2023, oil and leaves, two torn Argos carrier bags and one WH Smith bag.
It was alleged that some of the items were bought by Marten at a Texaco garage in Newhaven on 12 January 2023.
On being told a baby had been found dead, Marten confirmed the child was hers before starting to cry.
In a police interview played in court, Marten said she gave birth in Cumbria on Christmas Eve and the baby had died in the Harwich area around 8 January.
She said: “I had her in my jacket and I hadn’t slept properly in quite a few days and erm, I fell asleep holding her sitting up and she, when I woke up, she wasn’t alive.”
Constance Marten’s brother Tobias Marten and her mother Virginie de Selliers arriving at the Old Bailey during the trial. Pic: PA / Jordan Pettitt
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Constance Marten arrest: ‘Where is your child?’
Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, deny manslaughter by gross negligence, perverting the course of justice, concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.
PC Allen Ralph, who had been sent from Scotland Yard to help in the search, told jurors he had already seen earlier CCTV footage of the distinctive Lidl bag before he was deployed with a colleague to search the allotments.
As he approached the disused shed, he noticed a broken window and lifted the door to get in.
The first thing he noticed was the smell, he said: “I remember saying ‘either something is dead in there or something has died’.”
Inside there was a tent, out-of-date milk and bread on a makeshift table and the shopping bag underneath, he said.
PC Ralph told his colleague he recognised the Lidl bag before they looked inside and discovered the baby.
Talking about the moment he put his hand inside the bag, PC Ralph said: “My hand slipped on something. I looked and that was the baby’s leg. My hand was soaking wet.”
The police officer said the baby was “very pale” and “very cold” to the touch.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
Singer Linda Nolan, who rose to fame alongside her sisters in The Nolans, has died after several years of battling cancer.
The Irish star, 65, and her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, had a run of hits in the late 1970s and ’80s – including the disco classic I’m In The Mood For Dancing.
Paying tribute on The Nolans‘ X account, her sisters described her as “a pop icon and beacon of hope”, who “faced incurable cancer with courage, grace and determination, inspiring millions”.
Linda died peacefully in hospital this morning, “embraced with love and comfort” with her siblings by her side, her agent Dermot McNamara said in a statement.
“As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success; becoming the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide, touring the world and selling over 30 million records,” he said.
“Her distinctive voice and magnetic stage presence brought joy to fans around the world, securing her place as an icon of British and Irish entertainment.”
As well as her TV and musical career, Linda helped to raise more than £20 million for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Irish Cancer Society, Samaritans and others.
“Her selflessness and tireless commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will forever be a cornerstone of her legacy,” Mr McNamara said.
Five of the Nolans in 1983 (L-R): Linda, Anne, Bernie, Coleen and Maureen. Pic: PA
Linda’s death came after she was admitted to hospital with pneumonia over the weekend. She began receiving end-of-life care after slipping into a coma on Tuesday.
Details of a celebration of the star’s “remarkable life” will be shared in due course.
Linda was born to Tommy and Maureen Nolan in Dublin on 23 February 1959, the sixth of eight children.
Her parents were both singers and keen to turn their young family into a musical troupe. Linda made her stage debut aged just four.
Those early years put the siblings on track for a career in show business which lasted for decades. As well as I’m In The Mood For Dancing, The Nolans had hits with Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention To Me and Don’t Make Waves, and they also had their own TV specials.
At their height, they toured with Frank Sinatra and were reported to have outsold The Beatles in Japan.
Linda left the group in 1983, but later reformed with her sisters for several comeback performances. She also became known for musical theatre, most notably performing the role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years from 2000.
L-R: Bernie, Denise, Linda (top), Anne and Maureen Nolan pictured in 1975, before youngest sister Coleen joined the group
Four siblings struck by cancer
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and underwent a mastectomy two days before her 47th birthday.
After being given the all-clear in 2011, in 2017 she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. Three years later, Linda and Anne together revealed they were being treated for cancer once again.
The sisters were diagnosed with different forms of the disease just days apart after they returned home from filming a series of their show, The Nolans Go Cruising. Linda had cancer of the liver, while Anne had breast cancer.
The star, pictured last year, had battled cancer for several years. Pic: Shutterstock
They went on to write Stronger Together, an account of their journey that included frank details of their treatments and the side effects.
But in 2023, Linda revealed the cancer had spread to her brain and she was beginning treatment as part of a new drug trial.
The Nolans lost their second-youngest sister, Bernie, to cancer in 2013, aged 52.
Loose Women star Coleen Nolan also revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and said she was using a chemotherapy cream to remove it.
Linda’s husband of 26 years, Brian Hudson, died in 2007 after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
Anne Nolan is now cancer-free.
Tributes to star ‘who was always a joy’
TV star and singer Cheryl Baker and comedian Tommy Cannon are among those who have paid tribute.
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Linda Nolan,” Cannon wrote on X. “I had the pleasure of working with her on so many occasions, and she was always a joy – full of warmth and love. My thoughts and love are with the Nolan girls and the whole family.”
“The most incredible voice, the wickedest sense of humour, such a massive talent,” Baker wrote. “You’re with Brian now, Lin.”
Loose Women also sent its love to her family. Linda appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV chat show over the years, alongside her sister Coleen.
The Blackpool Grand Theatre described her as “a true Blackpool icon”.
A 20-year-old trainee gas engineer who won £7.5m says he was back working on blocked drains the day after claiming his cash.
James Clarkson, 20, from Carlisle, Cumbria, found out he’d hit the £7,533,329 National Lottery jackpot on 4 January – but said he has no plans to quit his job.
“I was out in the cold fixing blocked drains the day after I found out I had won,” he said.
“It was a bit grim but that’s reality.
“I’m not going to stop working, I’m too young,” he added, admitting he knew it might sound “mad” to some.
“I want to qualify as a heating engineer and then go from there.
“I need to have a purpose in life, plus dad wouldn’t let me not work anyway. He says there are plenty of millionaires out there that still work and you need a reason to get up each day.”
Mr Clarkson celebrating with his family. Pic: PA
Mr Clarkson added he still planned to have “some nice holidays” in between working, and revealed one of his first purchases was an all-inclusive luxury break to Cape Verde, along with a few designer items including a Gucci bag for his girlfriend and two new jackets for himself.
He said he also planned to splash out on a new car, possibly an Audi – but for now, he’s got his work van.
“If you drive a cold work van all day, going from job to job, you’d understand,” he said.
“The comfort, the steering, the heated seats. I realise how jammy that sounds, not many people my age can afford the car insurance let alone a car like that to drive.”
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As a huge Manchester City fan, he said he was also looking to buy a season ticket at the Etihad Stadium, as well as taking care of his extended family – starting with paying off his parents’ mortgage.
The new multi-millionaire holds up bespoke Manchester City kit celebrating his win. Pic: PA
He said: “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, it’s what I want to do. I told them last night and they seemed really overwhelmed.
“We are close and they have always been there for me. This win isn’t just for me, I want to make sure we all benefit.”
Mr Clarkson played on the National Lottery app, choosing his winning numbers – 16, 19, 22, 24, 27 and 35 – at random.
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