Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been remanded into custody charged with manslaughter after a court was told the remains of a baby were found in a plastic bag under some nappies in an allotment shed.
The couple appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Friday accused of three charges, including concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice. Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and that they were of no fixed abode during a short hearing in front of a packed courtroom.
Gordon wore a grey jumper over his head throughout the hearing.
READ MORE: Constance Marten and Mark Gordon charged after baby remains found
The aristocrat and her partner were charged with the offences on Thursday after the remains of the infant were found on Wednesday afternoon following a major two-day search operation. The pair will appear at the Old Bailey on March 31.
Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect at around 9.30pm on Monday by officers from Sussex Police in Stanmer Villas, Brighton, after a tip-off from a member of the public, but their baby was not with them.
An urgent search operation was underway on Tuesday to find the child, who had not had any medical attention since birth in early January.
An infant's remains were found on Wednesday after a major two-day search operation in Sussex. On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said it is "too early" to provide a specific date of death, adding that the infant had been dead for "several weeks".
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