UK - Constance Marten & Mark Gordon charged, Newborn (found deceased), Bolton Greater Manchester, 5 Jan 2023 #5

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@Nikynoo

I think it's just what @CaptainNancy said - I haven't seen any other major restrictions with the media.

I know we haven't had great coverage but as we all know ( those of us who follow UK trials ) this often happens and we are fortunate if at least one newspaper runs a blog. The media seem to have been ok with publishing daily articles, each evening and the Podcast has been very useful for providing extra detail.
 
Alyce said:
@Nikynoo

I think it's just what @CaptainNancy said - I haven't seen any other major restrictions with the media.

I know we haven't had great coverage but as we all know ( those of us who follow UK trials ) this often happens and we are fortunate if at least one newspaper runs a blog. The media seem to have been ok with publishing daily articles, each evening and the Podcast has been very useful for providing extra detail.
Click to expand...
This one did get a blockbuster opening act when it comes to publicity. It had everything the papers could have asked for.

A wayward aristocrat with a tragic history meets a rough ex-con with a violent past. A mysterious car fire exposes the wild plans of parents are determined to keep their baby from the government and sparks an intensely public manhunt by multiple police forces. Somehow, without friends, money, transport or shelter, they dodge authorities for weeks, always a step ahead.

The papers follow along, drip feeding the public sightings, speculation and revelations of their twisted history. Yet the public is torn between the relatable motivation, the troubling past and the danger of the weather... It's got more drama than a soap. Mystery, romance, evil cults, terrible crimes, crazy relatives, trust funds, racism, class divides, justice, governmental control, family freedom... All culminating in a frantic 3 day race to rescue a hidden baby and finally... the tragic end.

Well almost. The realistic thing would be for them to turn on eachother, point fingers and cut deals. Yet they haven't. So is it the end? Will there be justice? What does justice look like? Are they villains or victims? (Catch the next episode to find out!)

If you wrote it, people would accuse you of being a puerile, melodramatic purveyor of toxic romance tropes. Of course the papers are ladling out the slop and the public is lapping it up like it's the latest netflix offering (it will be.)

IMO obviously.
 
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Telltale said:
This one did get a blockbuster opening act when it comes to publicity. It had everything the papers could have asked for.

A wayward aristocrat with a tragic history meets a rough ex-con with a violent past. A mysterious car fire exposes the wild plans of parents are determined to keep their baby from the government and sparks an intensely public manhunt by multiple police forces. Somehow, without friends, money, transport or shelter, they dodge authorities for weeks, always a step ahead.

The papers follow along, drip feeding the public sightings, speculation and revelations of their twisted history. Yet the public is torn between the relatable motivation, the troubling past and the danger of the weather... It's got more drama than a soap. Mystery, romance, evil cults, terrible crimes, crazy relatives, trust funds, racism, class divides, justice, governmental control, family freedom... All culminating in a frantic 3 day race to rescue a hidden baby and finally... the tragic end.

Well almost. The realistic thing would be for them to turn on eachother, point fingers and cut deals. Yet they haven't. So is it the end? Will there be justice? What does justice look like? Are they villains or victims? (Catch the next episode to find out!)

If you wrote it, people would accuse you of being a puerile, melodramatic purveyor of toxic romance tropes. Of course the papers are ladling out the slop and the public is lapping it up like it's the latest netflix offering (it will be.)

IMO obviously.
Click to expand...

You're so right! This story has an entire TV series written all over it, several seasons even. I'll be watching it.
 
Telltale said:
This one did get a blockbuster opening act when it comes to publicity. It had everything the papers could have asked for.

A wayward aristocrat with a tragic history meets a rough ex-con with a violent past. A mysterious car fire exposes the wild plans of parents are determined to keep their baby from the government and sparks an intensely public manhunt by multiple police forces. Somehow, without friends, money, transport or shelter, they dodge authorities for weeks, always a step ahead.

The papers follow along, drip feeding the public sightings, speculation and revelations of their twisted history. Yet the public is torn between the relatable motivation, the troubling past and the danger of the weather... It's got more drama than a soap. Mystery, romance, evil cults, terrible crimes, crazy relatives, trust funds, racism, class divides, justice, governmental control, family freedom... All culminating in a frantic 3 day race to rescue a hidden baby and finally... the tragic end.

Well almost. The realistic thing would be for them to turn on eachother, point fingers and cut deals. Yet they haven't. So is it the end? Will there be justice? What does justice look like? Are they villains or victims? (Catch the next episode to find out!)

If you wrote it, people would accuse you of being a puerile, melodramatic purveyor of toxic romance tropes. Of course the papers are ladling out the slop and the public is lapping it up like it's the latest netflix offering (it will be.)

IMO obviously.
Click to expand...
I was going to say if you wrote this in a book everyone would say it's too much!!
 
Lucy6226 said:
I was going to say if you wrote this in a book everyone would say it's too much!!
Click to expand...
Yeah excellent post telltale. But if this went on tv as a some series or something it would be a no from me. I went fairly - well very deep - into vallow daybell and had to turn sins of our mother off. Just had enough at that point.
 
Telltale said:
This one did get a blockbuster opening act when it comes to publicity. It had everything the papers could have asked for.

A wayward aristocrat with a tragic history meets a rough ex-con with a violent past. A mysterious car fire exposes the wild plans of parents are determined to keep their baby from the government and sparks an intensely public manhunt by multiple police forces. Somehow, without friends, money, transport or shelter, they dodge authorities for weeks, always a step ahead.

The papers follow along, drip feeding the public sightings, speculation and revelations of their twisted history. Yet the public is torn between the relatable motivation, the troubling past and the danger of the weather... It's got more drama than a soap. Mystery, romance, evil cults, terrible crimes, crazy relatives, trust funds, racism, class divides, justice, governmental control, family freedom... All culminating in a frantic 3 day race to rescue a hidden baby and finally... the tragic end.

Well almost. The realistic thing would be for them to turn on eachother, point fingers and cut deals. Yet they haven't. So is it the end? Will there be justice? What does justice look like? Are they villains or victims? (Catch the next episode to find out!)

If you wrote it, people would accuse you of being a puerile, melodramatic purveyor of toxic romance tropes. Of course the papers are ladling out the slop and the public is lapping it up like it's the latest netflix offering (it will be.)

IMO obviously.
Click to expand...

Culminating with the dramatic acquittal. Perhaps.
And viewers left wondering where the justice is for Victoria.

IMO
 
Ha, it does have all those racy topics. But it is also quite grim.

It looks very much like it is actually a story of two people with serious mental/behavioural difficulties, one of whom spent his formative years in a US jail, the other in an abusive cult, who lived a chaotic existence and were unfit parents to a number of previous children. They then attempted to go on the run but bungled it in various ways, ending up with the baby dying in a cold damp, field somewhere and hidden in a plastic bag as they slowly got trench foot.

Viewed in that way it might be a less glamorous film.
 
If the three harm charges fall, as IMO is likely, the perversion of course of justice charge is an interesting one because if a defendant is found guilty the sentencing is supposed to reflect the seriousness of the underlying offence. And in this case, that would be concealing the birth, which isn't very serious in terms of maximum available sentence. On the other hand, deterrence is supposed to be a very important consideration when sentencing for perversion of the course of justice (cf. perjury) because they don't want to encourage the obstruction of the criminal justice system:

R v Abdulwahab [2018] EWCA Crim 1399



I wonder whether anyone has ever been convicted of perversion of the course of justice for actions which amount to no more than concealing a birth (and which don't involve witness intimidation etc.) That would sound like double jeopardy, because concealing a birth obviously involves the hiding of a birth, so can the hiding of a birth also constitute the separate crime of perversion of the course of justice?
 
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2:49pm




Jury sent away​

Recorder of London Judge Mark Lucraft KC has sent the jury away until Wednesday.

The trial is listed for tomorrow but the jury will not be present as solicitors deal with administrative matters.

We will return with live updates from the trial on February 14.





www.theargus.co.uk

Recap: Constance Marten and Mark Gordon jury sent home amid delays following fire

Live updates from day eight of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial at the Old Bailey.
www.theargus.co.uk www.theargus.co.uk
 
Alyce said:
2:49pm




Jury sent away​

Recorder of London Judge Mark Lucraft KC has sent the jury away until Wednesday.

The trial is listed for tomorrow but the jury will not be present as solicitors deal with administrative matters.

We will return with live updates from the trial on February 14.





www.theargus.co.uk

Recap: Constance Marten and Mark Gordon jury sent home amid delays following fire

Live updates from day eight of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial at the Old Bailey.
www.theargus.co.uk www.theargus.co.uk
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:
 
InstantCoffee said:
So that is a weeks delay by the time everyone is back in court!
I think the British legal system - from your neighbourhood solicitor up to The Old Bailey has to be one of the slowest working organisations in the UK - but the highest paid of course!
Click to expand...
I wonder if it will be allowed to extend beyond the 6 weeks originally scheduled? It feels like not much has happened so far apart from maybe half the prosecution’s summary
 
Pidgy said:
If the three harm charges fall, as IMO is likely, the perversion of course of justice charge is an interesting one because if a defendant is found guilty the sentencing is supposed to reflect the seriousness of the underlying offence. And in this case, that would be concealing the birth, which isn't very serious in terms of maximum available sentence. On the other hand, deterrence is supposed to be a very important consideration when sentencing for perversion of the course of justice (cf. perjury) because they don't want to encourage the obstruction of the criminal justice system:

R v Abdulwahab [2018] EWCA Crim 1399



I wonder whether anyone has ever been convicted of perversion of the course of justice for actions which amount to no more than concealing a birth (and which don't involve witness intimidation etc.) That would sound like double jeopardy, because concealing a birth obviously involves the hiding of a birth, so can the hiding of a birth also constitute the separate crime of perversion of the course of justice?
Click to expand...
Can you explain why you think its likely the 3 harm charges will fall ?
 
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