The partner of wealthy aristocrat Constance Marten has refused to answer any more questions in his baby manslaughter trial, saying he would only respond to queries “relevant” to the case.
Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, are charged with the manslaughter of their baby daughter Victoria, who died in a tent on the South Downs in early 2023.
The prosecution alleges Victoria died from hypothermia or was smothered while co-sleeping in the “flimsy” tent, despite past warnings.
A high-profile manhunt was launched after the defendants fled their burning car near Bolton, Greater Manchester, and went off grid in a bid to avoid their fifth child being taken into care, the Old Bailey has heard.
Gordon, who is representing himself, went into the witness box on Friday to be cross-examined by prosecutor Tom Little KC.
But before any questions were asked, he declared: “All right, that’s it.”
Judge Mark Lucraft KC warned him jurors could draw inferences from his decision to cut short his evidence.
Gordon said he wanted to “discontinue my testimony”, adding: “Respectfully, I will be prone to answer questions relevant to the case.”
Judge Lucraft then told Gordon he could return to the back of the court, where Marten sat in the dock with her head down.
In his evidence on Wednesday, Gordon told jurors: “Everybody faces challenges in life.”
He said his mother was a hard-working nurse who was passionate and empathetic and had instilled “compassion” in him.
He had said: “The idea I was underprivileged was not the case. My mother had two or three houses. She always provided for us. She showed me empathy.”
Gordon had blamed the police manhunt for setting off a series of “calamitous” events culminating in Victoria’s death.
He said he and Marten “put ourselves out” to ensure the baby’s wellbeing and “no-one could have anticipated” her death.Weeping in the witness box, Gordon had said they had been treated like “monsters” and dragged through mud like “scum” over what happened.
Previously, Marten has told jurors the baby died after she “blacked out” and fell asleep over her after feeding her.
The child’s body was discovered with rubbish inside a shopping bag in a disused shed near Brighton, after the defendants were arrested.
Marten had called time on her evidence after around half-an-hour of cross-examination, during which she called another prosecutor, Joel Smith KC, “diabolical” and a “heartless human being”.
On Friday afternoon, Judge Lucraft sent the jury home until Tuesday, telling them he would be dealing with “some issues of law”.
Marten and Gordon, of no fixed address, have denied the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter and causing or allowing her death between January 4 and February 27, 2023.
Jurors have been told the defendants were convicted at an earlier trial of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.
