Constance Marten & Mark Gordon - Baby A case

[SportMum1982]

What have I just read? What the actual fuck is wrong with the world. That poor baby. These utter idiots. Sorry I’m so so angry.

Constance Marten and partner ‘killed baby to keep her out of care’

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/24e56090-f175-4bf8-ac07-380621d9954f?shareToken=186074e86c05c4df704ef1889186acdc

Even the judge labelled them 'arrogant'. They were.
Bloody idiots.

Of course there's going to be speculation and judgement. A small baby had a short, pretty miserable existence, ending in an unpleasant death, unnecessarily, and I don't mean because she wasn't handed into SS care.

They are of an age were they can still do it all again to another child and the defense being mounted is 'we did very little wrong, it was caused by others, and this could have happened to anyone.' It inevitably invites speculation and judgement.

I do actually have some frustrated sympathy for her and her paranoia, and sympathy for everyone having to deal with the fallout. But the biggest part of the tragedy is the babies suffering and lost life, and the other children for whom all of this is their family birth story for the rest of their lives, including when/if they become parents.

Err yes of course there is- they allowed their vulnerable baby to perish due to their bloody mindedness and wanting to score points

I thought we'd get updates today? 🤷🏼‍♀️

It was supposed to be back on but 1 of the jurors was absent (ill, I think) so it didn't happen. Hopefully tomorrow!

How is this Case dragging on so Long !!
even when its sitting its 2 hours AM 2 hours PM
Would love to see the cost of this case
Changes of Lawyers
Jury sent out (point of Law )
MG refuses to take the stand
Fire
Judge needs a holiday
Jury sick (No wonder )
System needs updating where by court sits for real Hours not 4 /5 hours a day
Oh and one of the Jury left to go on Holiday haha

Why are so worried about the cost of the trial? What does it matter?
also jurors are allowed to go on holidays, kids are off school and some might have caring responsibilities.

Courts can’t sit for full time hours. The barristers and judges are obviously not working on just the one case that is being tried. They have a huge workload that requires many hours before and after court has sat. Their hours actually in the courtroom are a small part of what they do, when looked at in terms of hours spent.

It seems the court didn't sit again today. If a juror is ill can they carry on, given they have already lost one?

Ugh, get on with it!!

Trials are not held to entertain the public …

This really isn't unusual. It's the way criminal trials work. You just don't know about it because they aren't usually in the public eye.

Has anyone said that?

@karenR1662 - you've demonstrated you don't know how the courts work. The judge and the barristers are all working on several cases at a time and those cases will be at different stages. Humans cannot concentrate, take in and analyse information over long periods of time, which is why, for example, a jury won't spend 7-8 hours a day sitting in court. Particularly when the content of the evidence the jury hears is disturbing, it's important to have regular breaks.

Had there not been other delays the juror's holiday would probably been after a verdict had been returned. Better to wait for that juror to come back as they've heard all the evidence so far. When you're dealing with lots of people and given the nature of the cases that are heard in the Crown Court it's not surprising things don't always run smoothly or go to plan.

I was called for Jury service aged 22 (40yrs ago ) and Its was a horrific case of Child sexual abuse and I really don't remember their Being so many brakes in the day , We were told at the beginning if you have any holiday's booked please inform the clerk ,The case I had was 4 victims and due to there age had to be taken time to gain the evidence and it never over run this long think was about 3 weeks ,

Your experience was a long time ago. These days judges and court staff are more mindful of the impact of giving evidence on claimants, defendants and witnesses and on the attention required of jurors in order to do their job properly. The demands on the court service (which is already stretched and under-funded) are greater now too. And of course you may not remember the details of how many hours you say in court, although I've no doubt aspects of the case have stayed with you, as they have with me from the case I was on the jury for.

What stage is the trial at now? Are the jury considering?

The judge is summing up the case but there has been another break. It resumes tomorrow I think.

Can you imagine if they don't go to jail or only get a few months/years and then they do all this again?

I know, I've thought that. They will just have more children.

Details will come out after the verdict of past events and the reason the other children were taken into care.

Can only hope they won’t have that freedom. The way CM held Victoria was shocking enough on its own.

The rate the trial’s going the couple will die on remand - of old age.

Not necessarily, to maintain the children's anonymity, there will be minimal details about them

Nothing seems to be happening this week with the trial? When does it resume? Or are they deliberating?

They were on the court list for 10,30 but noted another case before it at 10am in same court room maybe that case over run I dont think the Judge had finished summing up so hope tomorrow Judge will finish and send Jury out to deliberate ,Just think the poor Jury are having a Rough time with all the postponing ,