Britain's correspondent

Constance Marten has closely criticized his wealthy “biological family” in a unprecedented cross-examination performed by his associate and associate Mark Gordon throughout his retric in Old Bailey.
He accused his household of prejudice, and chased him to rent personal spies.
Gordon, who is just not legally skilled, was capable of current his associate after presenting his questions and receiving approval to the choose. He is now not utilizing the barrister within the take a look at and represents himself as an alternative.
Marten, 37, and Gordon, 50, each denying gross negligence on the demise of their youngsters, Victoria, whose physique was present in a brighton shed in March 2023.
They additionally refuse to offer permission as a result of demise of a kid. The couple have 4 different youngsters who’ve been eliminated by social providers.
He was beforehand discovered responsible of accepting the curriculum of justice by not hiding the start of Victoria and never reporting his demise, however the jury couldn’t come on a call on arrears allegations. A return started in March.
As a part of interrogation by Gordon within the court docket on Thursday, Marten reported how Peru turned pregnant together with his first youngster in 2017, “All Hell broke” together with his household loosened.
She mentioned that she was “very frightened” after her automotive “explosion” in January 2023. He mentioned that 15 earlier automobiles had additionally defeated mysterious circumstances, and so they had discovered a GPS tracker on at the very least one.
He additionally talked about a member of an nameless household, which he felt that Marten “I had to alive” after Marten spoke about him previously.
The jury heard that the couple have been dwelling in a tent in Wales earlier than Victoria's start. The couple's different youngsters have been eliminated by then.
“We were the only reason for this person to end in Wales, which I was assuring that he was behind the explosion of the car.”
He mentioned that his household employed two companies of personal detectives and felt “like a cat and mouse game”.
Some of his kinfolk noticed him as a humiliation, he instructed the court docket, “Some people of privilege feel that they are above the rules”.
“You are against these people who will not stop anything, and there are endless resources and connections, and I don't think I can get away from them.”
He mentioned that his household belief additionally instructed him that “if you have still got that black lover with you, you are never going to get property”.
He additionally mentioned that he and Gordon had “a large amount of prejudice from people, especially from my family”.
Marten mentioned that the police manhint, which began after the hearth in his automotive after the start of Victoria, meant that folks began recognizing them, so that they determined to go and sleep in a tent within the south.
“It was just a pitstop for a few days, which goes away from getting away from the eyes,” he mentioned.
'He was a wholesome youngster'
In response to Gordon, whether or not she intends to hurt the kid, Marten replied: “No, not at all.”
Asked if the kid was all the time a precedence, he mentioned “absolutely” and that’s the reason he needed to maintain it for a very long time as a result of he was taken away too.
“He was an older child. Healthy. Strong,” he mentioned.
The prosecutors have alleged that Victoria died of hypothermia or easy within the tent. He has argued that the newborn was inadequately dressed and Marten turned moist whereas taking the kid below his coat.
Marten reported that the jury Victoria died just a few days later within the tent when she slept on her.
In response to Gordon's questions on this, she mentioned: “I have just been black out. I moved forward with my forehead on the floor. I think it could have happened anywhere.”
Gordon requested: “Was it clear from the situation of the child that the child was unliked in relation to himself?”
He mentioned: “This was my perception because I woke up in that situation.
“I don't know the way she died however it was my notion.”
In the weeks after the death, he said that the couple slept in the tent, roaming every few days. He took his dead daughter's body with him in a lidal bag.
Marten faced the cross-examination of the prosecutor in the afternoon. He repeatedly accused Joel Smith KC of protecting.
Mr. Smith asked him to hide his child's body under some nonsense in a shopping bag, saying: “Was it a really low factor to do for his physique?”
Marten replied: “If you’re going to go down from the trail that exhibits the particular person you’re.”
He then later additionally mentioned: “To be very sincere for my honor, I’m bored with this complete course of. I simply discover it. [Smith] disgusting. I simply don't like the best way he talks to me. ,
At the tip of the session, he mentioned: “I am very sorry that I am going to continue. I am at a braking point. I understand that I am prosecuted, but I am not going to sit here and are being asked to talk like this.”
The choose warned him that if he stopped giving proof, it might have an effect on how his earlier proof might be seen.
The take a look at is scheduled to proceed the following Tuesday.
With inputs from BBC