Latest news with #MarkGordon
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Lover of aristocrat Constance Marten who is accused of killing baby served 22 years in a US jail for rape
An aristocrat's lover accused of killing their baby is a convicted rapist, a court heard yesterday. Mark Gordon, 50, also committed an 'armed kidnapping' when he was just 14. He served 22 years in a US jail for a series of sexual and violent offences when he was a teenager, including a knife-point rape. Gordon, who stands accused with Constance Marten, 37, of killing their daughter by gross negligence, had previously been convicted of armed kidnapping, four sexual assaults, armed burglary and aggravated battery. Yesterday the Old Bailey heard Gordon broke into a woman's house in Florida with a knife and hedge clippers on April 29, 1989. He ordered the victim to undress before holding her captive for more than four and a half hours while he carried out a series of rapes and sexual assaults. Three weeks later Gordon committed an armed burglary, breaking into a family's home and battering a man over the head with a flat-headed shovel. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison on February 11, 1994 and served 22 years of the term. Following his release, Gordon came to the UK where he was later convicted of assaulting two police officers at a hospital where Marten gave birth to their first child under a false name in 2017. Marten is a member of the aristocratic Sturt/Marten family, from which she is estranged. Her father was a page to Queen Elizabeth in the 1970s. After Gordon's assault and their four children were taken into care, the couple decided to go on the run with their fifth child, Victoria, in December 2022 to stop her being taken away by social services. The baby died after they decided to camp in a tent on the South Downs, East Sussex, in freezing temperatures. On March 1, 2023, the infant was found buried under rubbish in a shopping bag that had been discarded in a shed. Experts have been unable to determine whether Victoria died of hypothermia or if she was smothered by her sleeping mother in a cramped tent. Last week when Gordon gave evidence about his earlier life he failed to mention his convictions. He said to jurors he had a 'reasonably decent background' and that he had been taught 'empathy' at an early age by his mother. He told the court: 'I have a great respect for the law', adding 'I like to follow the rules'. Yesterday he claimed he had been subjected to an 'unfair and unlawful' prosecution when he was a teenager. Gordon, who is representing himself after his lawyers quit, said America had a history of racism and 'framing innocent people'. But the court was then told that Gordon had pleaded guilty to armed burglary and aggravated battery and had been convicted by a jury of the kidnapping, sexual assaults and burglary in 1994, discrediting his claim. Marten and Gordon deny manslaughter by gross negligence and an alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child. At an earlier trial the couple were convicted of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice by hiding Victoria's body. The trial continues.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Mark Gordon previously convicted of rape in US, Old Bailey retrial told
Mark Gordon was convicted of a series of sexual offences, including rape, which took place in Florida in 1989 when he was aged 14, a jury heard on Thursday. The details of his previous convictions were read to the jury at a retrial of separate charges at the Old Bailey in and his partner Constance Marten are standing trial on charges of the manslaughter by gross negligence of their newborn baby Victoria and of causing or allowing the death of a decomposing body was found in a shopping bag in a shed in a Brighton allotment in March 2023. The jury were told of the details of Gordon's prior offences in the United States when he was 14 years 29 April 1989, he broke into the house of a next door neighbour wearing a nylon stocking over his face, armed with a knife and hedge clippers, the court heard. He demanded that the woman inside the house undress and attempted to rape her, before orally raping her and committing other sexual assaults. Gordon then held her for four-and-a-half hours against her 21 May of the same year, he broke into another property carrying a flat-headed shovel and beat a male occupant about the head with the was sentenced in the US to 40 years in prison, of which he served 22 questions to Det Sgt Ian Valentine, who was giving evidence about the convictions, Mark Gordon, who is now representing himself, suggested that he had been "manipulated" in his police interviews in Florida, saying he had been a 14-year-old child without adult Sgt Valentine said: "I am not aware of the circumstances of the case. I am just aware of the outcome."The jury also heard that on three occasions Marten's family commissioned private investigators to conduct surveillance on the couple.A company called LSG was hired by Marten's mother, Virginie de Selliers, in 2016 to trace her daughter. LSG was successful and managed to take some photos of the was then hired by Marten's father, Napier Marten, to engineer a meeting in a café.Mrs de Selliers hired a second company, Blackstone Consultancy, in 2021 to investigate the couple's "pattern of life". The resulting investigation, dubbed "Operation Lynx", lasted two months, and more photographs were retrial will continue on Monday.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Constance Marten's boyfriend is convicted rapist, court told
The partner of wealthy aristocrat Constance Marten was convicted of raping a woman in the United States when he was 14-years-old and received a prison sentence of 40 years, jurors have heard. Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, are charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria, who died in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023. Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors at the Old Bailey on Thursday that in 1989, Gordon, then aged 14, held a woman against her will in Florida for more than four hours and raped her while armed with a 'knife and hedge clippers'. Within a month, he entered another property and carried out another offence involving 'aggravated battery', Mr Little said. Jurors were told that, in February 1994, Gordon received a sentence of 40 years' imprisonment, of which he served 22 years. Mr Little told jurors that the first set of offences occurred on April 29 1989 in Florida and consisted of one offence of armed kidnapping, four offences of sexual assault and one offence of armed burglary. Discussing the offences, Mr Little asked Det Sgt Ian Valentine: 'Did he break into the house of a next-door neighbour? Before doing so, did he place a nylon stocking over his face to conceal his identity?' Giving evidence, Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' Mr Little also asked the officer: 'Was he armed with a knife and hedge clippers?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' Mr Little asked the officer: 'Did he demand that the female in the property undress?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' The prosecutor also asked the officer: 'Did he attempt to vaginally rape her?', 'did he orally rape her and perform other sexual assault offences?' and 'was that female held by him for a period of four-and half-hours against her will in the property?' Det Sgt Valentine replied 'yes' to all the questions. 'Armed with flat-headed shovel' Mr Little said Gordon's second set of offences occurred on May 21 1989 and consisted of armed burglary and aggravated battery at a property occupied by a family while armed with a 'flat-headed shovel'. The prosecutor asked the officer: 'Once inside the property, did he beat a male occupant with a shovel about the head?' Det Sgt Valentine replied: 'Yes.' While cross-examining the police officer, Gordon said the convictions took place 'due to human rights violations', he had not been supervised in police interviews relating to them and that he had challenged the convictions while in custody. Earlier this week, jurors heard that Gordon had pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers who had been called to a maternity ward in Wales in 2017 after Marten gave birth to one of Victoria's older siblings. Gordon had to be forcibly restrained during the incident and a new father had stepped in to help the two female officers before more police arrived to arrest him. In his evidence last week, Gordon, who is representing himself, made no reference to his troubled past but told jurors: 'Everybody faces challenges in life.' He said his mother was a hard-working nurse who was passionate and empathetic and had instilled compassion in him. Gordon said: 'The idea I was underprivileged was not the case. My mother had two or three houses. She always provided for us. She showed me empathy.' In his earlier evidence, Gordon blamed the police manhunt for setting off a series of 'calamitous' events culminating in Victoria's death. He insisted that he and Marten 'put ourselves out' to ensure the baby's wellbeing and 'no-one could have anticipated' her death. In an emotional outburst in the witness box, Gordon had complained they were treated like 'monsters' and dragged through the mud like 'scum' over what happened and had not had time to grieve for their child. Private investigators group engaged Agreed facts were also read to the jury, which included that Virginie de Selliers, Marten's mother, engaged the private investigators group, London Security Group Limited, to trace her daughter in 2016. Jurors were also told that Marten's father, Napier Marten, approached the same firm and a 'tracing company' called CSM Partners Limited to approach Gordon in 2017. Ms De Selliers also instructed a firm of private investigators called Blackstone Consultancy in 2021 to locate Marten and Gordon. Jurors were also told that on Dec 17 2019, Mrs Justice Judd sitting in the England and Wales High Court Family Division made an order, following an application by Napier Marten, that Marten and Gordon's two children were made wards of the court and their parents prohibited from moving them out of the jurisdiction of the court. The wardship proceedings finished in January 2020, meaning the order was not in force from that date. Details of cash withdrawals from Marten's bank accounts from December 2022 to February 2023 were also revealed to the jury. A high-profile manhunt was launched after the defendants fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off-grid in a bid to avoid their fifth child being taken into care, the Old Bailey has heard. The prosecution had alleged Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in a 'flimsy' tent, despite past warnings. Her body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the defendants were arrested. In her evidence, Marten told jurors that the baby died after she 'blacked out' and fell asleep over her after feeding her. Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between Jan 4 and Feb 27 2023. Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. The trial continues.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Mark Gordon assaulted police officers on maternity ward, court hears
Mark Gordon assaulted two female police officers on a maternity ward after the birth of his first child and had to be detained using leg restraints, a court has 50, and Constance Marten, 38, deny the manslaughter by gross negligence of daughter Victoria, their fifth child, whose body was found in a shopping bag in a Brighton shed in early 2023. They also deny causing or allowing the death of a child. The Old Bailey heard on Tuesday that Gordon left Det Sgt Delma Jones "cut and bruised" in the hours after Marten had first given birth, in later pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates' Court to assaulting Det Sgt Jones and PC Sian Beynon. Giving evidence, Det Sgt Jones said they had been called to the postnatal ward of West Wales General Hospital after medical staff raised concerns about the identity of a newborn's said she and PC Beynon went to a separate room with the father and asked him several times for his name and date of birth. He eventually agreed to write it in her notebook and said he was called James Amer, giving his date of birth as 31 April 1987, the jury was told."I asked him to confirm his date of birth and he replied yeah. At this time I realised there are only 30 days in April." Det Sgt Jones said. She described how Gordon started to rock "backwards and forwards in a chair", muttering under his breath that he was "confused".When Det Sgt Jones said she wanted to do some checks on him, Gordon shouted, jumped up from his seat and started pacing backwards and forwards."He was clenching his fists and his behaviour completely changed," she then tried to leave the room, but his path was blocked by PC Beynon, the court Sgt Jones said Gordon put his hands on her colleague, pushing her to one side. The jury heard the officers tried to restrain him, but he got out of the room and begin running towards where Marten was with their new Sgt Jones said she went to get her radio to alert other nearby officers, before Gordon ran back towards them. They took hold of him, but Det Sgt Jones said she fell to the floor during the incident. "We were telling him to calm down, to comply," she said. "Obviously we had concerns over where we were - there were babies and other people around. We were concerned what he was capable of."PC Beynon deployed her Pava incapacitant spray "at least twice", Det Sgt Jones said. With help from a father of another newborn, the two police officers were able to successfully restrain Gordon, before their colleagues arrived to arrest him. Gordon began kicking out at another officer, and leg restraints were then put on him, the court Sgt Jones, who has 20 years' experience of policing, said the incident - which lasted about 10 minutes - left her bruised and with cuts on her hands, adding that she remembers it "very well". Gordon, who no longer has barristers in the trial and is representing himself, asked her: "Is it true that all police officers tell the truth all the time?"Judge Mark Lucraft KC intervened, saying the question was not court has heard how a high profile manhunt was launched for Gordon and Marten in January 2023 after they fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off grid with Victoria. The trial continues.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Constance Marten's partner ‘assaulted female police officers on maternity ward'
Constance Marten's partner assaulted two female police officers on a maternity ward hours after she had given birth, a court has heard. Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, are charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria who died in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023. On Tuesday, the court heard about a 'strange' incident involving the couple in Wales hours after Marten had given birth to an older sibling six years before. Gordon had pleaded guilty to assaulting Pc Sian Beynon and Det Sgt Delma Jones during the course of their duties in 2017. Giving evidence, Det Sgt Jones said they had gone to the hospital after a baby was born in the morning and medical staff raised concerns over the identity of the parents. She asked the father several times for his name and date of birth before he gave the identity of James Amer, who was born on April 31, 1987. The officer said: 'I asked him to confirm his date of birth and he replied, 'Yeah.' At this time I realised there are only 30 days in April. 'He started rocking backwards and forwards in a chair and acted confused, muttering under his breath several times. 'I explained I wanted to do some checks on him. He then shouted out. 'He then shot up from his seat. He starts pacing backwards and forwards. He was clenching his fists and his behaviour completely changed. 'My colleague Pc Beynon was standing by the door. He walked up to her and pushed her to one side.' Having already assaulted Pc Beynon, the officers tried to restrain him and stop him from making good his 'escape', the court heard. 'Mr Gordon had opened the door. He managed to free himself from our grip. He started running up to where his partner and baby was,' Det Sgt Jones said. Gordon then went back into the corridor and tried to grab her again, causing her to fall to the floor, she told jurors. 'We were telling him to calm down, to comply. Obviously we had concerns over where we were; there were babies and other people around. We were concerned what he was capable of.' Det Sgt Jones said her colleague then deployed her Pava incapacitant spray at least twice. She added: 'He was trying to escape while we were still holding onto him. We were asking him to calm down, stop resisting, but this had no effect whatsoever.' She told jurors that she and her colleague were hit during the struggle before a new father stepped in to help. 'I left that incident being bruised. I had cuts on my hands. I can't say he struck me directly but in his attempt to get away from us, I probably was struck.' The new father came out of a ward and assisted in restraining Gordon before more police arrived to arrest him, the witness said. Det Sgt Jones told jurors the incident lasted about 10 minutes but she remembered the events very well eight years on as they were so unusual. The officer, who has 20 years' experience of policing, said: 'I remember them very well. This is a strange incident that I dealt with.' The court has heard how a high-profile manhunt was launched in January 2023 after the defendants fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off grid in a bid to avoid their fifth child being taken into care. The prosecution had alleged Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in a 'flimsy' tent, despite past warnings. Her body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton after the defendants were arrested. Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between January 4 and February 27 2023. Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. The Old Bailey trial was adjourned until Wednesday.
