UK - Constance Marten & Mark Gordon charged, Newborn (found deceased), Bolton Greater Manchester, 5 Jan 2023 #6

[Baby baby Jane]

This is MOO, but probably as they could already see a flat wouldn't be treated well / fit with an itinerant, dysfunctional life. Or the trust may not have had the funds or discretion for a large pay-out. Equally CM could have used it to pay a mortgage but didn't....

If there ever was a person who could benefit a Brittany-style Conservatorship until she got herself together and healthy, it’s CM.

 

[LenaOdenthal]

The juxtaposition of the golf course footage - is that the dumpster diving? - with CM's financial situation seems strategic. Hadn't that footage already been shown, did the jury need to see it again today?

 

[Henrymoggington]

The juxtaposition of the golf course footage - is that the dumpster diving? - with CM's financial situation seems strategic. Hadn't that footage already been shown, did the jury need to see it again today?

There does seem to be a lot of going over the same stuff!

 

[Alyce]

2:48pm

Case adjourned​

DS Ferguson's evidence has concluded. The jury has been sent home and will return on Monday as the court is not sitting tomorrow.

Constance Marten received over £3,000 a month from trust fund - live updates

Live updates as the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon continues.

www.theargus.co.uk

 

[Henrymoggington]

2:48pm

Case adjourned​

DS Ferguson's evidence has concluded. The jury has been sent home and will return on Monday as the court is not sitting tomorrow.

Constance Marten received over £3,000 a month from trust fund - live updates

Live updates as the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon continues.

www.theargus.co.uk

WTH! This court seems to spend more time adjourned that actually sitting!

 

[rockthecasbah]

WTH! This court seems to spend more time adjourned that actually sitting!

Which is more time on remand for them so their advantage

 

[Zuleika]

What the heck have they spent all that money on ?

 

[Kingsley]

"Gordon was also informed that Marten had explained the child died after she fell asleep holding her but that he had advised her to say it was a 'cot death', jurors heard."

Extremely amateur language analysis attempt coming up, I found some of MG's statements in interview interesting.

There's definitely some centring of her role and power in what he says here, if reporting is accurate:

'i would do anything for her and she loves children' ...he told officers Marten was suffering from PTSD ...

[suggestion she is unstable? Suggestion he is going along with her desires?]

'She is a very special person. She's an awesome woman and she would never do anything to harm a child under any circumstances,' he said.

[Seeding idea of her harming a child, even by stating it in the negative]

He added that Marten was a 'beautiful, intelligent woman' and he was a 'man who loves his wife'.

[Subtext: she has the power, and power over me, I'm just a simple man in love]

'I love her, I would do anything for her ... it's her child,' Gordon told police.

[Again, suggesting she has power over him, and distancing himself from the child]

'She has actually experienced the post-traumatic distress and she was in a situation where she was quite vulnerable and that led to things that were never predictable on either of our parts.

[Distancing himself from the emotions and the situation, making it *her* situation not his]

'...I have done nothing really wrong. I have supported my wife. Tried my best to be a husband. And I don't think she has done anything wrong, actually, in trying to take care of her child.'

[I have done nothing wrong, I don't *think* she has done anything wrong: additional qualifier undermining her innocence, followed by more distancing]

... you have to understand four children have gone to social services, she's a good mother ...

[An odd statement!]

... I do love her very much and I don't find her to be at blame at all because she was in post-traumatic stress.'

[Is she not to blame because she didn't do anything, or because her mental state means she can't be held responsible? He is suggesting the latter]

Excellent word choice analysis

 

[iamshadow21]

What the heck have they spent all that money on ?

Incense, Cornettos, Airbnb's, cheap cars that light themselves on fire, extensive taxi journeys, bags for life.

Not secure housing, warm baby clothing, formula, personal hygiene...

MOO

 

[JumpingFrog]

"Constance Marten had almost £48,000 paid into her Metro bank account from a family trust in the five months leading up to her baby's death last year.

During the time police were looking for her and Mark Gordon, she had more than £19,000 in her account."

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Defendant had £48k paid into her Metro bank account

The Old Bailey heard while police were searching for her she had more than £19,000 put into her account.

www.bbc.co.uk

So that's clarified it a bit - from September to January they had withdrawn approx £29k.

 

[DavidAT]

The juxtaposition of the golf course footage - is that the dumpster diving? - with CM's financial situation seems strategic. Hadn't that footage already been shown, did the jury need to see it again today?

"The jury is now going back over details of CCTV footage from Hollingbury Golf Club" it says in the Argus. They may have asked to see it again. Unusual mid-trial but can happen.

 

[wowiezowie]

3 days last week and 4 this week. Does the Old Bailey actually ever do a full week? It seems to be taking forever.

 

[Nikynoo]

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Defendant had £48k paid into her Metro bank account

The Old Bailey heard while police were searching for her she had more than £19,000 put into her account.

www.bbc.co.uk

Interesting breakdown of funds received.

Ms Marten was receiving monthly payments from the Sturt Family Trust which were being paid to her by the private bank Hoares into her Metro bank account.
These were initially £2,500 a month, but went up to £3,400 a month in December 2022.
In the same period, Hoares Bank also paid her £3,800, which she said was for the cost of storing her belongings.
Then, on 13 November, £13,596 was paid into her Metro account for camera and filming equipment after she said she wanted to start working again.
On 22 December, £15,590 was transferred as Ms Marten said she wanted to buy a new car.

 

[InstantCoffee]

During December, there were a number of withdrawals in cash of between £50 and £300. Two big withdrawals of £4,000 and £2,000 were made on 31 December 2022 and 5 January 2023.(BBC article posted above)

So was the 4k used to buy the car which caught fire? I need to look back at the timeline. The 5th was the day the car caught fire, so that makes more sense that they needed money on that date. She still had 19k in her account when caught though, so a lot was unspent.

 

[Alyce]

The Suzuki broke down on December 28, so the 4k withdrawl on December 31 would match with needing to buy another car ( the Peugeot ).

The 2k withdrawl on January 5 was destroyed a few hours later, during the Peugeot car fire.

 

[Cardgame]

Four grand is A LOT for one of those peugeots. I looked at Facebook marketplace a while back to see if I could find the one they bought, and most were in the hundreds not the thousands.

And they obviously bought a crap one!

Did they get scammed on that too?

I wonder if police have located the seller? Will that be evidence? A witness?

 

[InstantCoffee]

The Suzuki broke down on December 28, so the 4k withdrawl on December 31 would match with needing to buy another car ( the Peugeot ).

The 2k withdrawl on January 5 was destroyed a few hours later, during the Peugeot car fire.

Ah yes, was forgetting about the 2k going up in smoke. Anybody have any thoughts on a 2k withdrawal when they weren't expecting for their vehicle to go up in flames? To pay for accomodation in cash? To last them a good amount of time so they wouldn't need to withdraw more and be traced?

Interesting that they also made three withdrawals from the same convenience store ATM on the day they were arrested.

 

[Zuleika]

During December, there were a number of withdrawals in cash of between £50 and £300. Two big withdrawals of £4,000 and £2,000 were made on 31 December 2022 and 5 January 2023.(BBC article posted above)

So was the 4k used to buy the car which caught fire? I need to look back at the timeline. The 5th was the day the car caught fire, so that makes more sense that they needed money on that date. She still had 19k in her account when caught though, so a lot

Not that anyone was looking for them on the 31st December but how did she manage to withdraw £4,000 ?
I once needed 2 and had to explain myself at the counter which was embarrassing in front of other people . You can't withdraw those amounts at an ATM .

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Ah yes, was forgetting about the 2k going up in smoke. Anybody have any thoughts on a 2k withdrawal when they weren't expecting for their vehicle to go up in flames? To pay for accomodation in cash? To last them a good amount of time so they wouldn't need to withdraw more and be traced?

Interesting that they also made three withdrawals from the same convenience store ATM on the day they were arrested.

IMO, I think that last day was when they decided they couldn't go without using the atm anymore and so took money out, got some food, then got more money out, got more stuff, and by that point, they knew they were going to be traced, so kind of thought to hell with it and got more money.
IIRC, in her interview, CM acknowledged they knew they would be traced from the withdrawals, but they had no other choice as they were too weak from hunger.
I don't feel the three withdrawals are anything suspicious; they had just given up on being careful for so long that they probably just kept getting money out as they realized they hadn't got enough before.
JMO

 

[Lolabear]

"Constance Marten had almost £48,000 paid into her Metro bank account from a family trust in the five months leading up to her baby's death last year.

During the time police were looking for her and Mark Gordon, she had more than £19,000 in her account."

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial: Defendant had £48k paid into her Metro bank account

The Old Bailey heard while police were searching for her she had more than £19,000 put into her account.

www.bbc.co.uk

So that's clarified it a bit - from September to January they had withdrawn approx £29k.

Yet lived in squalor