Constance Marten and Mark Gordon Case #4

[Pinkpenguinx]

She must’ve been so uncomfortable. This is where I can see that the running from social services was absolute tunnel vision- they weren’t caring responsibly for the baby but it wasn’t as though she was selfishly looking after herself either. Just a complete mess

Yes I agree
Im not sympathising with her but genuinely I cant fathom how she even managed to go on the run like this post birth. I know shes had many children but the recovery from birth even a textbook one is not easy, I found the aftermath of giving birth more difficult than the actual giving birth. God knows hows she traipsed around like this

 

[casperon]

Why are people obsessing over the smell. We don’t even know if it’s true that the room smelled

 

[Lostinmotherhood]

I don’t think the smell is anything unexpected, dirty bodies smell and damp clothes stink too. We had someone at work who was experiencing financial hardship and couldn’t afford to heat their flat and therefore their clothes took a long time to dry and just stank even though they never had greasy hair or looked dirty.

 

[Ittybittytittyclub]

Can’t believe they not only carried her body around in a bag for life, but also put soil on top of her

 

[Pinkpenguinx]

Why are people obsessing over the smell. We don’t even know if it’s true that the room smelled

I think questions are being asked re the smell, to try and determine if it could have been possible the smell was of poor baby Victoria's dead body? Her birth date has been questioned , i think naturally the date they're giving as her passing will be questioned too

 

[InTheDollsHouse]

We don’t even know if it’s true that the room smelled

To try and make sense of it, because so much is impossible to understand.

Genuine question though, would you say ‘we don’t even know if it’s true’ to other reports, like (for example) that the baby was only in a nappy in one taxi - which has no proof other than the taxi driver statement; or that she was lifeless in a baby carrier - which is only alleged by a witness, despite them not having a baby carrier when she was alive and no mention of one in their belongings?

These are things that people discuss to try and piece together what happened, while processing the awful conditions the baby was in during her short life.

As a mother I can’t imagine doing what they did, but I also have to wonder how CM managed it so soon after birth. That’s what a lot of the discussion here is about.

 

[aggytha]

Does anyone know roughly how long the trial is expected to last?

 

[lampielooloo]

Can’t believe they not only carried her body around in a bag for life, but also put soil on top of her

Can you tell me where has this been reported, please?

 

[InTheDollsHouse]

Does anyone know roughly how long the trial is expected to last?

Currently expected to run until 8th March

 

[Ittybittytittyclub]

Can you tell me where has this been reported, please?

Constance told police in interviews, In court and I also heard it on the daily mail podcast.

 

[InTheDollsHouse]

Is there a transcript of the DM podcast does anyone know?

 

[lampielooloo]

Constance told police in interviews, In court and I also heard it on the daily mail podcast.

Thanks, I must listen to the podcast, their previous seasons/trial coverage have been excellent.

Has anyone here gone to court?

 

[FFS_stopit]

Yes I agree
Im not sympathising with her but genuinely I cant fathom how she even managed to go on the run like this post birth. I know shes had many children but the recovery from birth even a textbook one is not easy, I found the aftermath of giving birth more difficult than the actual giving birth. God knows hows she traipsed around like this

Me neither.. I also felt like I stank in the first few weeks after birth (bleeding, leaking boobs all that lovely stuff) and I had four uncomplicated births (three at home) and was having at least one bath a day. I was also in pain..

I don’t feel sorry for her in the slightest but it actually makes me grimace thinking of having to be on the move, let alone on the run, so soon after giving birth!

she’s incredibly lucky she didn’t get very very ill.. tragically their daughter didn’t get so lucky, and that is entirely their fault. I can’t see how anyone could agree their behaviour wasn’t negligent.. it will be interesting to see how the defence try and spin it!
---

Thanks, I must listen to the podcast, their previous seasons/trial coverage have been excellent.

Has anyone here gone to court?

this week I thought the bbc podcast was a bit better but worth listening to both!

 

[maytoseptember]

This is going to sound a bit random but they could have been giving off a smell if they have mental health issues.
i used to work for the DWP and one of the claimant's that used to come in (who had severe mental health issues) had an awful smell..not just an unwashed / dirty clothes smell. The closest i could describe what it smelt like as it was so distinctive is sort of a mouldy/mildew smell but it was one of those smells that literally burns your nostrils.
we thought it was just him not washing but one of our colleagues said her sister smelt exactly the same when she had a mental breakdown. So maybe its a chemical imbalance smell?

Mental illness doesn’t produce a physical smell.

But I know the kind of smell you mean. I had a supermarket Saturday job for years and you used to see all manner of human life, and all manner of mental illnesses.

I’ve smelled a smell similar to what you describe. I think it’s a combination of chronically unwashed body, sweat/BO, greasy unwashed hair, unwashed clothes, urine… you name it. It’s horrendous. It’s definitely worse than just “unwashed”.

 

[Hyacinthsquash]

Just can’t believe she had the chance with FOUR children, had social services intervention (rightfully so) and still couldn’t get it right even with all the money in the world. Hopefully this case serves as warning to those who doubt social services and claim “parents know best”. These parents have had the chance and now their baby has ended up dead.

 

[Ray_of_Sunshine]

Infections from retained placenta etc are pretty common, but for an infection to be so bad it leaves a lingering smell in a hotel room? She would be seriously unwell/septic. So I don’t think that quite adds up. I’m baffled as to what it might have been.

I’m not. I wouldn’t put it past her to have not bothered with washing herself after (or probably before) the birth

 

[pommobear]

I was thinking about this case today as one of my son's fellow home educated friends is currently very unwell with tonsillitis and has been for about 10 days yet his mother refuses even to give him calpol let alone take him to the GP. Instead she is treating him with manuka honey, soup and air purifiers.

Not the same thing but the mentality of "only I know what's best for my child and I don't trust anyone in authority", whilst taken to an extreme with CM and MG, is nonetheless present in quite a few parents.

 

[Hyacinthsquash]

I was thinking about this case today as one of my son's fellow home educated friends is currently very unwell with tonsillitis and has been for about 10 days yet his mother refuses even to give him calpol let alone take him to the GP. Instead she is treating him with manuka honey, soup and air purifiers.

Not the same thing but the mentality of "only I know what's best for my child and I don't trust anyone in authority", whilst taken to an extreme with CM and MG, is nonetheless present in quite a few parents.

Sorry but I’d report this. A friends 13 year old daughter died from tonsilitis a few years back after it got into her blood stream. She had been treated in hospital and sent home unknowingly it was still present and she died in her sleep.

 

[casperon]

Sorry but I’d report this. A friends 13 year old daughter died from tonsilitis a few years back after it got into her blood stream. She had been treated in hospital and sent home unknowingly it was still present and she died in her sleep.

I’m sure that’s very rare! I had tonsillitis, went to the doctors and they gave me nothing because it’s viral CM is being made an example of because it’s very clear she’s anti establishment. I don’t think that’s fair. I think you can be anti establishment and still care for your kids. CM didn’t care for her kids and was very neglectful and responsible for her child’s death.

Saw in the paper they’re mentioning that Victorias birth wasn’t registered. That doesn’t lead to a child dying IMO and is just fuelling the fire.

 

[Ari-55]

I was thinking about this case today as one of my son's fellow home educated friends is currently very unwell with tonsillitis and has been for about 10 days yet his mother refuses even to give him calpol let alone take him to the GP. Instead she is treating him with manuka honey, soup and air purifiers.

Not the same thing but the mentality of "only I know what's best for my child and I don't trust anyone in authority", whilst taken to an extreme with CM and MG, is nonetheless present in quite a few parents.

Sorry to derail but if it’s been present for 10 days it sounds like it’s either primary or secondary bacterial (not viral) and there’s basically no other way to clear it up except antibiotics. That poor boy must be in a lot of pain with potential for it to get worse if the bacteria causes an abscess or even sepsis.